Property Managers vs Landlords: A tenant’s guide

Posted on February 5th, 2025

On GrannyFlat Rental, we share listings both from real estate agents and private landlords. Whilst this is a great way to see all of what’s available on the market, you may be wondering whether a granny flat you’re interested in is managed by a real estate agency or the property owner themselves. Our guide will tell you the benefits of each, what they have in common and how to spot the difference.

Perks of a listing managed by a property manager:

• Your rental is not their property, meaning they’re less likely to be personally attached to the property
• They have a professional reputation to uphold, and will try to keep interactions and the listing amicable to ensure your positive review
• A real estate agent is more likely to know and understand tenancy laws

Perks of a listing managed by a landlord:

• You can develop a personal relationship, which is particularly important when renting a granny flat as the owner may often reside on the same land,
• You can develop trust, knowing you’ll always be communicating with the same person throughout your residency
• The property may at a cheaper than the relative market as self-managing avoids paying an agency a percentage of your rent money
• A property owner is more likely to chose a tenant that they have things in common with, assisting an empathetic and compassionate relationship, understanding each other’s living needs

What do property managers and landlords have in common?

• Both should require you to sign a tenancy agreement and will hold a bond (ideally via a state approved bond service you can find here)
• You have the same rights renting from either, given the terms of your lease agreement and the tenancy act
• Both are legally required to respect those rights and your privacy

How do I know whether a listing is managed by an agency or a landlord?

• Read the full property description and the bio with the property manager or owners’ name at the bottom of a listing, as they may mention an agency if managed by one, or be written in first person if self-managed by the landlord
• Property managers will likely to have a professional headshot as their image, or a company logo, whereas self-managing landlords are more likely to have no photo, a selfie or a landscape photo that reflects their personality
• Research the person attached to the listing, as property managers can probably be found on a real estate agency’s website, and will have lots of listings and reviews associated with their name

Expert Tip:

Rarely, a property manager can advertise a listing, find a tenant and secure a lease for a property owner, but leave managing the remaining tenancy to the landlord, so even when communicating with an agency it’s always important to ask who will manage the rental.

More Tenant's Resources

How to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home

How To Spot And Avoid Rental Scams

Seven Simple Steps to Make Your Tenancy Application Stand Out (in the good way)

Author and posted by Alysha de Ruyter.