Five questions to ask before hiring a property manager on Roatán

If you own a condo or villa on Roatán and live somewhere else, your property manager stands between you and a long list of expensive surprises. Before you sign with anyone, including us, ask these five questions. The answers separate professional operators from someone with a truck and a WhatsApp account.

1. How do you charge, exactly?

Get the full fee schedule in writing. The percentage gets the attention, but the extras decide what you pay. Many managers on the island charge a flat monthly fee of a few hundred dollars on top of their percentage, which means they get paid the same whether your unit rents or sits dark all season. A percentage-only structure keeps the manager interested in filling your calendar. Ask what the manager earns in a month where your property produces no income.

2. How do I see my money?

You should receive a statement every month showing rent collected, each fee, each expense, and the payment to you. Ask for a sample statement before you sign. If the answer involves a spreadsheet emailed quarterly, keep looking. Ask whether owner funds are held separately from the company's own operating money, and how distributions are sent.

3. Who shows up to do the work?

Ask who physically enters your unit, how often, and whether they are employees or whoever was available that week. Then ask how a maintenance issue moves from reported to fixed, and what gets documented along the way. Ask to see the work-order history from a property they already manage. A real system can print one in a minute.

4. What happens when a storm is named?

Hurricane preparation is the clearest test of whether a manager runs on process or improvisation. Ask what they do in the 72 hours before landfall, in what order clients get attention, and what you receive afterward, meaning photos of the property and a written damage list, with a plan for any repairs. The wrong time to learn the answer is October.

5. How do we end this?

Good managers are easy to leave. Ask about notice periods, what happens to deposits and keys, and how tenant relationships transfer. An operator confident in their service doesn't need a contract that locks you in.

REZ answers all five in writing before you sign, and you're welcome to send the same questions to anyone you're comparing us against. Write to support@rezroatan.com or use the contact page.