Needing a “On-site Manager”? ie ( there’s exceptions), but are “they” usually, a “Good-to-Haves” mainly
because over their (over all) low costs, To get small (issues/projects/etc), helped along ?
I have about 25 spaces occupied. I don’t maintain an office there, and the people pay at the bank. I live about 39 miles from my park and work full time. I prefer to have an on-site gopher that in exchange for just lot rent (but not water) - I can ask to keep an eye on things, text me an update on what’s going on, give people messages, translate, watch for obvious leaks and pick up litter and keep folks from putting couches in my dumpster as then the city won’t empty it and it becomes urgent. I assign grounds work to my on-site helper as well, but it rarely gets done and I just let it go. They can’t maintain their own lawn equipment or afford gas and leaving petty cash or giving a card is just out of the question. If I left my awesome new lawn tractor up there it would not last long as I don’t have any storage units. I consider having the on-site babysitter more for my peace of mind that no news is good news while I’m away and if any actual work gets done, it’s bonus. Plus I gave the lady this home as she was in a battered women’s shelter.
When I go to the park, I take my truck and a trailer with the lawn equipment and I have made it known that I will pay any that are willing to help weedeat or mow the common areas $10/hour on the spot. Rarely does anyone want to do any work though. This also eliminates any I don’t have money or enough work to pay rent whining - as I will give them work right then. I tried hiring real landscapers, but the fees they wanted were outrageous, like $800-$1000 a month. Most would not even bid on it. They can do houses a lot faster and make much more money! I decided it was good exercise, good excuse to buy new equipment, and good vitamin D for me to just go mow it myself, hand out notices, do inspections, soon will read meters, and collect a little rent and keep my money. I would normally go to the park a couple times a month anyway just to check on it while I’m in town, so why not just do it all then? In half a day, twice a month, on Saturday my helper that I take with me up there to do the heavy lifting, we get it all done and then go eat lunch and go to the next place. In between times I check the bank and post payments and send out a few letters. That is the entire work load of an on-site manager plus landscaping company for a small park and it cost me one lot rent space, plus $120 a day twice a month for my helper. I have no idea at this point what I would even hire a manager to do. Maybe once I get a really big park it will be needed.