Tenant placement solves a vacancy project. Full property management adds an ongoing operating relationship after possession begins. Both can be valuable, but they address different owner workloads and risks.
Because service names are not standardized, compare task-level proposals, decision authority and what remains with you after a tenant moves in.
What tenant placement usually addresses
A placement engagement may include readiness advice, rent positioning, photography, listing distribution, inquiry response, showings, applications, lawful screening, lease coordination and a move-in record. The assignment normally ends after the tenancy is established and files are transferred.
Confirm the precise endpoint. Some services end at a signed lease, others at key handover or first rent receipt. Ask who holds deposits, signs documents, resolves pre-move questions and corrects an early issue discovered during move-in.
What full management adds
Ongoing management commonly covers tenant communication, rent administration, owner statements, maintenance coordination, documented property checks and support through renewals or move-out. It may also include the next leasing cycle, although some companies charge placement separately.
The manager needs defined authority to act. The agreement should set approval limits, emergency decisions, reporting frequency, owner reserve expectations and matters that require direct owner instruction. Legal representation and major project management may remain separate.
Choose based on the work after move-in
Placement can fit an owner who is available, organized and comfortable administering rent, maintenance, notices, records and tenant communication. It can also suit an owner with an established operating system and reliable Ottawa trades who mainly needs professional help filling a vacancy.
Full management can fit an owner who lives far away, has limited time or wants one accountable contact. It assigns recurring work and oversight to a coordinated process while keeping the owner informed through vacancies, repairs and tenancy issues.
Plan the handoff in a placement-only service
The owner should receive the signed lease and attachments, application and consent records handled appropriately, payment and deposit records, condition documentation, keys issued, tenant contact information and a summary of open commitments. Agree on secure transfer and retention before marketing begins.
Introduce the owner as the ongoing contact and provide clear rent, maintenance and emergency instructions. A tenant should not have to discover after move-in that the leasing contact no longer manages the home. Record any outstanding work and who will finish it.
Compare costs and contract flexibility
Placement is often priced around the leasing project, while full management combines recurring fees with possible leasing, renewal, maintenance or administrative charges. Do not compare a one-time number with a monthly number without modelling the same period and tasks.
Read term, renewal, cancellation and file-transfer provisions. If you may switch from self-management to full management later, ask whether the provider will take over the placed tenancy, what onboarding is required and how the fee structure changes.
Use a responsibility matrix before signing
List every recurring task and assign one accountable party: owner, manager or outside professional. Include after-hours response, rent arrears, maintenance approval, entry notices, insurance claims, bookkeeping, legal escalation and move-out. Shared responsibility without a lead often becomes missed responsibility.
Review the matrix against the written service agreement. Choose the model that leaves you with work you can perform consistently, not merely the model with the more appealing headline price.
- Marketing and showings
- Screening and lease preparation
- Rent administration and owner statements
- Tenant requests and maintenance coordination
- Entry notices and property checks
- Renewal, formal notices and legal referral
- Move-out and the next turnover