How to Successfully

Rent and Manage an Investment Rental Home


Property Management is tougher than ever, Especially Since 2020. Whether renting Your Own Home or Selecting the Best Property Management Company, the Stakes Have Never Been Higher, and an Amazing Manager is Worth Their Weight in Gold.

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Steps to Successful Property Management

View a short presentation with tips on how to rent your own home from A to Z

The year 2020 was a game-changer for rental property management. For both private DIY landlords or decade-old property management companies with stellar reviews, managing a rental home and renters requires more expensive technology, time, patience, and hard work than it ever has before by a long shot.

Family

Owned. Founded in Wilmington North Carolina, since 2006

1000+

5 Star Reviews Across 7 Diverse Locations. A Testament To Consistency

94%

Of Our Owners Own Less Than 2 Properties. Most Are Mom & Pop Accidental Landlords

Goldilocks

Large Enough to Deliver Leading-Edge PropTech, Small Enough to Deliver the Best Customer Service

Effort

Vacancy Calculation Is a Questionable Statistic in Most Management Company Advertising, but the Best Measure of Our Commitment to Fast Leasing Is the Consistent Effort Displayed in Every Listing We Present.

INC 5000

MoveZen is a Proud Recipent of the 2024 INC 5000 List of the Nations Top Companies, by INC Magazine

Since 2020

We’ve Sent 80 Cents of Every Dollar Collected to Our Owners, Proving the Benefits of a Resident Satisfaction Model

Win-Win

We’ve Donated Over $40k (Typically During Matching Pledges) to Mostly Local Charities, on Your Behalf

Since 2020

We’ve Evicted Barely Over 1% of Our Residents. In Light of So Much Negative Press Around That Time, This Is One of Our Proudest Achievements.

Shooting Straight on Investor and Property Management Profitability

This business was hard when we started almost 20 years ago and had to help owners navigate the pain and devastation many were dealing with in 2008, and it is somehow much harder now in a post-2020 landscape that we call the “modern rental market.” Management charges rarely make up more than 12% of your total income, but poor performance when it comes to listing presentation, fast follow-up, reducing resident turnover, repair expenses, preserving home value, and proper pricing almost guarantees that your investment will be a stressful and unprofitable endeavor.  The stakes are high, and results are not easy. Rents in our area have been falling for over a year, and many are not even aware.

The Stakes are Higher, and Great Results are Harder than Ever Before in Rental Management

This is not the time to take advantage of the gig economy or hire a cheap manager.  That’s similar to skimping on an attorney if you are innocent and face serious criminal charges, or very sick and need the best medicine. If a company is pushing their cheap price they are not focused on overall performance because they have to cut corners. 

Anyone Can Manage a Rental, But Few Can Get Industry-Leading Results, and That Matters

With the upheaval in the real estate industry, newcomers are picking up property management and tend to offer great prices and promises while doing a couple of things well, but this is a surprisingly complex and challenging business these days that requires costly high-tech tools as well as deeply researched and tested strategies combined with care and focus.



Get a MoveZen Rent Rate Evaluation


One of the Most Important Steps to Renting Your Home is Setting the Rental Rate

The MoveZen rental evaluation is compiled by “people” using real-world comparable past and active rental listing data. This is not just a report from the same algorithm every company uses, it’s the professional opinion of multiple experienced property managers.

We Guarantee Our Work and Transparency

No Hidden Fees Guarantee

If it’s not on your management agreement or directly approved, non-maintenance charges will not show up on your statement

Satisfaction Guarantee

We allow you to cancel the relationship for just 50% of remaining management charges (set by lease term)

Vacant Cancel Guarantee

If you sign up and decide renting isn’t working out before the home is leased, you can cancel for just $350 (or $450 if 3D scanned)

Tenant Placement Guarantee

If your resident doesn’t finish their lease term we refund prorated charges for lost time

Maintenance Limit Guarantee

Maintenance is complex, especially in emergencies but we use limits, personalize policy, & almost never bill without approval

Eviction Guarantee

We will handle evictions for residents that we placed for no charge, or contribute $1,000 toward an attorney should that be necessary

Prorate Guarantee

We prorate charges fairly, based on income, including partial payments so that you get paid first

Low Renter Charge Guarantee

We don’t gouge renters at the expense of making your home less desirable. We have some of the lowest renter charges

No Markups & Junk Guarantee

We don’t markup any 3rd party charges. We don’t have offboard fees after your term is up or other brazen tolls

30-Day Lease Guarantee

If we haven’t secured a lease within our quoted rent range within 30 days, your first month’s management is free

All the Things We Don’t Charge For


  • 3D Tours, Professional Presentations

No charge for photos and 3D scans and we frequently reshoot due to weather etc. Spend a year with us and the photos are included for free. Especially since 2020 quality of presentation has a major effect on rental rate, speed of leasing, and above all resident quality

  • Showmojo Showing Scheduler

We utilize state of the art lockboxes & scheduling that renters absolutely love, and respond to (see more)

  • Basic Repair & Maintenance Oversight

We do offer renovation management services, as well as complete some duties in house if you approve an estimate in advance, but we never upcharge on standard repairs & maintenance

  • Annual Inspections

We never charge for up to two annual inspections, and frequently inspect more often at our discretion with no added charges (see more)

  • Financial Reporting, Annual & Monthly

We provide 1099’s and monthly statements for no charge

  • Additional Marketing Charges

We’ve never required an owner to pay additional marketing charges

a landlord ponders her satisfaction with the movezen property management guaranteed system

What We Do Charge For

Prior to 2020, we had almost no additional charges besides our standard management costs. Since then the cost of hiring committed and caring staff has literally doubled. Rather than raising basic costs we finally implemented fair, industry-standard charges for a large amount of services we had been absorbing free for years. We are a bit on the high side for lease renewals and that’s because we are aligning your incentives with ours. Keeping high-quality residents in place long-term isn’t easy or cheap, but it is a huge win-win. We invest heavily in that process, so we charge a bit more than average.

3D Wall-to-Wall Virtual Rental Tours


MoveZen is the only property management company in our area that consistently Offers 3D wall-to-wall virtual tours, but wait, there’s more.


Amazing Partners & Affiliates


Important Steps to Rent Your Home Out from A to Z

Step by step checklist for getting a home rented, and link to the full property management guide

Step 1 to for the question of how to rent my house? Consider your general strategy

1 Consider strengths and weaknesses for your home and location and consider special strategies to utilize them.  Is it a college area? If so, you’ll likely handle a lot differently from low income, or a suburb

rental space
Step 2 to rent your own townhome. Get the rental in great shape

2 Get the property in show-ready condition by handling repairs, but also low-cost aesthetic fixes like spray painting rusted AC grates, and other things that really stand out.  A sure way to attract sub-par tenants and repel the rest is to show a home with unrepaired issues

Step 3 for the question of how to rent my own home? The crucial issue of pet friendly

3 Decide whether you’re going to allow pets or not.  Before you decide, know that for most landlords it’s the single best thing you can do to increase your “bottom line” profit over the long term.  More on this subject here 

rental space
Step 4 to renting your home yourself is perhaps most important of all, setting the rental rate.

4 Set a rental rate that will balance a minor amount of time on market hassle, with monthly rate.  Whether in the form of owner-occupied showings, stress, or vacancy. Most owners fail to properly account for these subtle but real costs, especially vacancy.  Vacant homes are much more costly than most account for. We can provide a free rental rate estimate compiled by people, not an algorithm, here

Landlords must focus on long-term consistent net operating income not rental rate

Rental Rate Leads Investors Astray

If your home sits empty for 4 months, a common occurrence since the market slowed, you instantly lose 32% of your top-line revenue. Many investors make this decision without considering what their “net income,” or cash in hand will be at the end of 12 months. Pricing is an art, not a science. Focusing on the cash you will have in hand 12 months from now requires us to consider the full equation which includes the quality of the applicant (high-quality renters have great finances because they are value-seekers who are smart with their money), the amount of time that the home isn’t producing income, and finally last on our list of priorities is the actual rental rate. Especially since renters move more than ever, professionals understand that holding out for high rates doesn’t pay off over the long term.


Even at a discount an occupied home in 2025 produces a lot of income. While vacant, or if we select a low-quality resident (typically the ones willing to pay a premium rate), the costs quickly pile up and turn a decent investment into a high-stress money pit. A lot of rental owners lose dramatically more to vacancy than they could possibly lose to rising inflation, taxes, or insurance. Keep income flowing all year and costs are almost always manageable.

The modern rental market is highly profitable if handled properly, and fraught with massive risk if not. Let’s be conservative and profit through smart management. (Read about this real-world example comparing the two approaches)


21 Tips for Great Rental Listing Photographs

21 Tips for Great Rental Listing Photographs

Free Self Property Management Software for Applications, Payments

Free Self Property Management Software for Applications, Payments

Self-Managed Landlord Presentation, Marketing & Showing Service

Self-Managed Landlord Presentation, Marketing & Showing Service

Read What Customers Just Like You Are Saying About the MoveZen Experience


View MoveZen’s hundreds of ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ Google reviews across 7 major locations

Our Staff is Proud to Make Shared Sacrifices for Charitable Company Initiatives


  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Literacy Council
  • Hospice & Lifecare
  • Local not national ASPCA’s
  • Red Cross
  • Beagle Rescue
  • Foodbank
MoveZen is a prolific local charity contributor

Mostly Local, & Typically Matched

Over the past 5 years, MoveZen has donated tens of thousands of dollars to charity. While we often give to the Red Cross during major disasters, most of our donations are to local, smaller charities in the cities and towns where we operate. Most of our donations are also timed to take advantage of matching pledges by various Fortune 500 companies and other major organizations.

Appfolio, the World Leader in Property Management Software

Appfolio, the World Leader in Property Management Software

High-tech software rental investors love

MoveZen-property-management-rental-owner-portal-login

3 Exceptional Management Options. From DIY to Set it & Forget It


Full Property Management Service Is About The Same As A Cup Of Starbucks A Day. To View This As A Single Side By Side Image Switch To Desktop View On Your Mobile Phone

  • Pre-listing Rental Rate Analysis
    Pre-Marketing Property Report
    Basic Turnover & Improvements Assistance
    Professional Photographs
    High-Tech Matterport 3D Scan
    Exceptional Marketing Across All Major Rental Sites
    Oversee Showings & Renter Leads
    Criminal, Credit & More Application Processing
    Negotiate Terms & Secure Signed Lease
    Handle the Move-In Experience
    Monthly ACH Payments & Financial Reporting
    Collect Rent & Address Payment Issues
    Move Tenant Out, Handle Deposit Process
    Oversee All Maintenance Needs
  • MARKETING ONLY
    We List, Scan, Photo, & Setup on Our Showing Scheduler. You Do the Rest
    X
    X
    X
    X
    X
    X
    X
    X
  • PLACEMENT ONLY
    We Market & Lease the Home, You Manage Your Way from There DIY
    X
    X
    X
    X
  • FULL SERVICE
    We Do It All from A to Z, Then Start Over When Needed

Ready to Get Your Rental on the MoveZen System?

Our ultimate goal is to maximize your bottom line income while minimizing headaches. This starts with our new owner onboard process

Thinking of Switching Property Management Companies?

Don’t let the unpleasant task of working with your current manager to close out your account hold you back, we’ll do it all. Just notify them once in writing, and we’ll do the rest

Property Management Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)


1) Know the latest landlord-tenant laws [renter/tenant rights, landlord rights, and Fair Housing]

2) Decide if you will be renting yourself or hiring a property management company

3) Using real data, determine a sound rental rate for your market

4) Research how you will list your rental property online

5) Inspect the property and perform required maintenance

6) Take premier property photos and list the home

7) Schedule appointments and show the property

8) Secure a legally compliant & fair lease

9) Collect initial move-in payments

10) Oversee pre-move repair requests

11) Oversee move-in day, utility transfer, inevitable new user issues

Or, you could just hire us…

Renting out your home can be a very smart and lucrative decision when done properly. Determining up-front what costs and benefits to renting your home can be expected is crucial. Accurate pricing, knowing state and federal landlord laws, and understanding the future market trends are all pivotal in the success of your rental home.

The exact requirements can vary by state or municipality. Most areas do require a real estate license if you collect rent and deposits on someone else’s behalf. Simply put, your friend that used to work for an apartment complex cannot market your home, lease, or collect rental funds on your behalf unless licensed.

Without being partial, that’s really a preference question. However, here is our list of things to be on the lookout for in a great property manager:

Communication: Are your questions answer quickly, clearly, and kindly?

What do their property manager reviews have to say?

Has the rental process been explained clearly and do you agree with it?

Are their rental home listings clear and descriptive or rushed?

Property management company fees vary widely based on the type of service, season, and property management company you choose. Average monthly fees can be around 10% while some companies may charge a flat monthly rate

Being a landlord can be both fun and easy. With free property, management software available (Apartments.com) do-it-yourself landlords have never had it easier! However, the largest sacrifice to be a landlord is time, and stress. Advertising your rental home, processing applications, emergency maintenance calls, and the unfortunate eviction can quickly wipe out a huge amount of what you might save by passing on hiring tax-deductible superior property management services. That said, a poor rental management company can cause headaches of their own, so it’s a matter of finding a great one. If you do, they’re worth their weight in gold

According to RocketHomes.Com,“When you sell a home, that’s the extent of the money you will make on the property. But if you hold it as a rental, you could continue to earn money every month, realize tax advantages and, ideally, see appreciation.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! With the expanding real estate market, now is the perfect time to invest in rental property. The US government has built a system where the easiest and most consistent path to wealth is owning exceptionally managed rental homes

Yes! Property management fees, and even most maintenance items, are tax-deductible as they pertain to your rental property