Lessons We've Learned the Hard Way: A Property Manager's Rule Book
Some of the best rules in property management don't come from a textbook. They come from an actual repair bill, an actual maintenance call, or an actual $400 window replacement after a tenant locked themselves out and tried to remove the window to get back in.
That's a real one, by the way — a newer property in our portfolio hadn't yet had our standard rule applied: no locking door handles. It got missed in the onboarding checklist, a tenant locked themselves out, and rather than call for help, they attempted to remove the window instead. $400 repair, and a rule we now apply without exception.
Here's a running list of the practical, sometimes unglamorous rules we've built from real experience — the kind that don't show up in a general property management guide, but save real money over time.
No Locking Door Handles
Standard door handles that lock from the outside create an easy way for tenants to get accidentally locked out — and a locked-out tenant is a resourceful tenant. We've seen attempted window removals, damaged frames, and forced entries, all avoidable by using handles that don't create the lockout risk in the first place.
Screen Doors for Units With Dogs
If a unit allows dogs, a screen door on the back entrance protects the actual exterior door and frame from scratching. It's a small, inexpensive add that prevents a repeated, easily predictable form of damage.
Pulling Fencing to Discourage Unauthorized Pets
If a property doesn't allow dogs, removing a portion of the fenced yard does double duty: it discourages applicants who are specifically looking for a fenced yard for their dog from applying in the first place, and it removes the temptation for an existing tenant to sneak a dog in and let it run in a "conveniently" fenced space.
Reconsidering High-Maintenance Appliances
Washers, dryers, and garbage disposals are some of the highest-maintenance items in a rental — frequent repairs, real failure rates, and real cost. Before assuming a unit needs to include them, it's worth asking whether it actually does. In some markets and price points, letting tenants supply their own washer and dryer removes an entire category of maintenance calls and repair costs from the owner's side of the ledger entirely.
Hidden Lockbox for Vendor Access
Where it's legal and reasonably safe to do so, a hidden lockbox with a key at the property saves real time and coordination hassle for vendor access — no waiting on a tenant's schedule to get a repair done, no juggling multiple sets of keys. It's a small logistics decision that removes a surprising amount of friction from routine maintenance.
Always Supply a Shower Curtain
This sounds almost too simple to matter, but it isn't. If a shower curtain isn't provided, a meaningful number of tenants will simply shower without one — which means water going everywhere it shouldn't, on a schedule of every single day. A $10 shower curtain is far cheaper than the water damage from months of showers with no barrier at all.
Wire the Bathroom Fan to the Light Switch
Especially in Class C properties, wiring the bathroom exhaust fan to run on the same switch as the light is one of the simplest ways to guarantee ventilation actually happens. Left as a separate switch, the fan often just doesn't get used — and unventilated bathroom moisture is a direct path to mold and long-term damage. Removing the extra step removes the problem.
Rethinking Ice and Water Dispensers on Refrigerators
It's less a question of "if" and more "when" an in-door ice and water dispenser eventually leaks. Where possible, avoiding this feature altogether removes a recurring, hard-to-catch source of water damage. If a property's class or market requires it — often the case in Class A properties — the right move is frequent, specific inspection of that connection point rather than hoping it holds.
Why These Rules Exist
None of these are theoretical best practices pulled from a course or a textbook. Every one of them exists because something happened once, cost real money, and got turned into a standing rule so it wouldn't happen again on the next property.
This is also, honestly, part of why experience matters in property management. A newer manager hasn't hit these issues yet. We have — which is exactly how this list got built in the first place.
Curious what other operational details might be costing your property money?
The rules that save the most money are usually the ones nobody thinks to ask about until it's too late. Let's talk. Blair Allen Property Management serves owners across South Dakota, Montana, and Arizona.
Chris Twiggs President, Blair Allen Property Management 📞 605-545-1218 ✉️ chris@blairallen.com