Problem page
Property manager not responding? What Massachusetts owners can do
If your property manager is not responding, put the request in writing with a date, check the communication and termination terms in your management agreement, and set a short deadline. If calls and emails still go unanswered, you can usually end the agreement on the notice period it sets and move to a manager who answers. This page walks through the steps and what "responsive" should actually look like.
Why managers go quiet
- Your building is small for them, and small accounts get the newest, busiest account manager.
- Staff turnover: the person who knew your building left and nobody told you.
- Something went wrong they do not want to explain yet: a vacancy, a deposit problem, a repair they forgot.
- They are overloaded. A manager carrying too many doors answers the loudest owner first.
None of these is your problem to solve, but knowing which one it is tells you whether to push or to leave.
What to do, in order
- Write it down
One email listing what you asked for and when, and what you need by a specific date. Copy the owner of the company if there is one.
- Read your agreement
Look for the communication or reporting clause, the term, the renewal date and the notice period to end. Note any early termination fee.
- Ask for the records now
Statements, bank statements, deposit records, leases and vendor invoices. You are entitled to them, and asking tells you quickly how bad it is.
- Set a deadline, then act
If the deadline passes, give written notice under the agreement. A manager who cannot answer an owner is not answering your tenants either.
What responsive actually looks like
- A named person who answers your calls and a maintenance line tenants can reach at any hour.
- A monthly statement on the same date every month, with the bank statement behind it.
- A call before any repair over the written approval limit (ours is $500), and a note after any emergency.
- A reply to a tenant's maintenance request the same business day, logged where you can see it.
At Copper Bottom, Nick Cowden, our founder and a licensed broker, takes new-owner calls himself and works with every new client through onboarding; after that a dedicated property manager is your main contact, and if something needs escalating or you cannot reach them, you call Nick. That is not a slogan; it is who answers.
Questions
Can I fire a property manager who is not responding?
Usually, by giving written notice under the termination clause in your agreement. The notice period and any fee are in the agreement; we read it with you before you act. How to fire your property manager.
Is a manager required to send monthly statements in Massachusetts?
The agreement sets the reporting schedule; most say monthly. Whatever it says, the owner is entitled to the records of their own property, and a manager who will not produce them is a serious problem.
What if tenants are calling me instead of the manager?
That is the clearest sign the manager has stopped doing the job. Log what the tenants tell you, because it is evidence of the problem and the starting list for the next manager.
General information, not legal advice. Your agreement and Massachusetts law control; talk to an attorney about your situation.