Hiring a Property Manager in Hawaii: Important Do’s & Don’ts

For those of you needing a professional to manage your valuable asset in Hawaii, here is a quick reference list you need to know:

1. It’s THE LAW.. in Hawaii, DO hire a property manager or a trusted representative to be your local, boots on the ground. This is for security and safety reasons, should something happen. Flood and fires are real. You also want someone who is making sure routine services are getting done properly, like repairs and yard service. When owners are away for extended periods of time, things can go wrong or often do not get done to standard, when they are not monitored and checked. Shoddy repairs are also real if not checked before payment is disbursed. Most owners will find out very quickly that appointing an unlicensed person to oversee their house requires a lot more work than that person has bargained for if they are not compensated for it. The end result is that things get overlooked and deferred because the person who is appointed doesn’t feel like it’s worth their time if they are not getting paid adequately or at all. Worse, they are not trained and don’t know how to work through issues and challenges that could lead to costly and litigious expenses for an out of town owner.

2. Management Fees. Market rates for monthly management fees are as follows:

• 10% for long term
• 25% for short term (under 180 days, monthly, or daily vacation rentals)

If you hire a professional, who does this full-time and takes this job seriously like we do, you will get what you pay for.

Our services include:

• Tenant screening and background checks
• Assistance with repairs
• Assistance with general maintenance and cleaning move in s and move outs
• Monthly bookkeeping
• Assistance with GET/TAT tax filing
• Monthly bill paying for services, such as yard service or pest control
• Assistance with guest or tenant issues
• Assistance with emergencies, such as floods, fires or damages. We work with adjusters insurance companies regularly, and know how to operate, efficiently through the claims process.
• Thorough market research to get the best rate of return on your investment. We keep track of the rents in the area so you don’t have to.
• We know how to talk to tenants about increasing rents, and are able to justify it with legitimate comps to verify.

Our team is extensive. We have reservationists for short-term rentals, a full-time accounting staff, vetted vendors who service our properties, as well as a dedicated upper management team that keep us updated regularly on market trends, new laws, and issues we need to know about to best service you.

3. DON’T hire someone you haven’t vetted for their skill set or references. We can provide you with a list of properties we successfully manage and testimonials from very happy clients. We are trained, licensed, and full-time. This is what we do day in and day out with over 30 years of combined experience. We have an extensive portfolio on Oahu and have experienced many different scenarios that have led us to our success in handling any task that comes our way. We have units in high-rise condominium buildings, low-rise resort areas, and beautiful estates woven throughout Oahu’s gorgeous shoreline, as well some of the most prestigious neighborhoods on the island. We offer a very personal level of service to our clients and manage our properties as we would manage our own. Nothing less than the best.

See what our clients are saying about us:

“As a long-time Realtor and investor, I know the value of a good property manager. Attention to detail, good communication skills, and a proactive and responsive attitude are just a few of the characteristics I seek when it comes time to employing a professional who will be managing one of my biggest assets. Fortunately, I’ve found
two of the best professionals in the business – Diana Ricciuti and Jill Lawrence. They’re not only experienced and consummate professionals, they are also wonderful human beings who truly care for their clients, the properties they manage, and the communities in which they serve. I have complete trust in their ability to provide the utmost in professional service, and even more importantly, peace of mind knowing that my properties are in their capable hands.”

Cherie Tsukamoto, R, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI, SRES
Broker-in-Charge (RB-14911)
Hawaii Life

Here is a link to just a few of the gorgeous properties we manage in our portfolio:

• Hale Ola at Kawela Bay
• Castle Surf PH#61
• Ka’ala Gardens
• Turtle Bay Kulima Collection #6 West

4. DO contact us for a personal chat about our services. We are not pushy sales people and we are not interested in a massive portfolio to add to our numbers. We are seeking quality owners who expect quality agents to personally manage their assets with an upscale boutique approach. See this link for our presentation with details about what we can do to help you achieve success.

5. DON’T put off hiring a seasoned professional. Once you do, you will soon realize that you will be on the winning streak to start earning untapped potential and eliminating a lot of unnecessary headaches that an expert, trained agent is able to handle for you.. We look forward to hearing from you.

See our related blog about investments on Oahu.