Managing a rental property in Harare from abroad
Remote landlords lose money in slow, quiet ways: deferred maintenance, under-reported rent, and vacancies nobody mentions. All three are contractual problems before they are property problems.
What a management agreement must state
Vague agreements are where the money goes. The agreement should state the commission and what it covers, the threshold above which repairs need your approval, how and when rent is remitted, and what happens on arrears.
Insist on a monthly statement even in months where nothing happens. An agent who only reports when there is news is an agent you cannot audit.
- Commission percentage and precisely what it includes
- Repair approval threshold, in writing
- Remittance date and method each month
- Arrears procedure and at what point you are told
Maintenance is the thing that decays quietly
Deferred maintenance is invisible from abroad until it is expensive. Borehole pumps, geysers, roofs and electrical boards all fail predictably, and a property with no maintenance schedule simply accumulates the cost until a tenant leaves.
Commission an annual condition inspection from someone who is not the managing agent. It is the cheapest insurance available to a remote landlord.
Know your tenant exists
Ask for the signed lease, not a summary of it. Ask for proof of the deposit held and where. These are ordinary requests and an agent who resists them is showing you the problem in advance.
Common questions
- Should I use an agent or a family member?
- Whichever you choose, put it in writing with the same terms you would give a stranger. Undocumented family arrangements are the most common source of both financial loss and lasting family conflict.
- How often should the property be inspected?
- At minimum annually, and by someone independent of whoever collects the rent.