CYA Documents - Protect Yourself From Owners

The longer you’re in property management the more you realize that it’s sticky, often hostile, sometimes even litigious. Over 35 years I’ve been burned many times by owners, tenants, vendors, staff and third parties and after the second or third time (I’m a slow learner) I would go back to the attorney and have her draft a document that prevents it from ever happening again. Blaming property managers has reached an all-time high and isn’t going away anytime soon. So, understanding this reality, smart managers need to spend extra time, money and effort building/crafting documents designed to protect themselves, even from the folks they are trying to serve. We’ve pulled these documents from our archives and have listed them here for your review and downloading individually (or in packages by topic).

Protecting yourself from Owners is what these documents are all about. Think Body Armor

New Owner Sign Up Documents

A. Customized Management Agreement

1. Customized Management Agreement Module # 1
2. Customized Management Agreement Module # 2

B. Housekeeping Documents (use with all PMA's)

1. Mold/Mildew/Moisture Disclosure
2. Establishing & Maintaining the Trust Account
3. Personal Property Disclaimer
4. Owner’s Mortgage Disclosure
5. W-9 Form
6. Lead Paint and Flood Disclosure
7. Authorization to Add Agent as an Additional Insured
8. Property Features
9. Authorization and Agreement for Automatic Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT/ACH)
10. Owner Declaration and Data Schedule
11. Unenforceable Terms in the Lease Disclosure
12. New Property Sign Up Tracking Worksheet

Package B (Housekeeping Documents) bought separately is $224.00. Buy as a package for $ 195.00

C. Ancillary Documents (use them when appropriate)

1. Owner's Homeowner Association Disclosure
2. Power of Attorney and sample
3. Modification of Agreement Addendum
4. Adding a Property to an Existing Management Agreement
5. Multiple Owner Declaration and Data Schedule
6. Entity Declaration and Data Schedule
7. Home Warranty Disclosure and Agreement

Package C (Ancillary Documents) bought separately is $134.00.
Buy as a package for $ 95.00

D. Entity Documents (use them when appropriate)

1. Certification of Trust
2. Corporate Resolution
3. Limited Liability Company Affidavit

Package D (Entity Documents) bought separately is $90.00. Buy as a package for $ 75.00

Super Package E (All owner documents in Packages B-D)

SUPER Package E Includes all the New Owner Sign Up Documents in Packages B-D. The price for downloading each document individually would total $ 448.00, or you can download the complete package for $ 395.00 (You can also download the package with video training). We spent thousands for the development of these documents. They've been tested for 15+ years. You can have them for pennies on the dollar.

II. Scope of Service

A. Things You Can't Turn Over to Your Property Manager

B. Managing the Owner's Previously Established Third Party Relationships

C. Asset Manager vs Property Manager

D. The Property Manager's Job Description

E. Scope of Service Training Document

III. Setting the Owner's Expectations

A. Managing the Owner

1. Owner Agreement and Mutual Release
2. Agreement to Release Private Information
3. Managing Emergency Maintenance - an Owner's Perspective
4. Managing Third Party Relationships

B. Stopping the Ownes from Handling Maintenance

C. Move Outs

1. Owner Security Deposit Release Agreement

2. Confusing Pre-Existing Condition, Normal Wear and Tear, Deferred Maintenance and Tenant-Caused Damages

D. Separation

1. Quick Separation Policy
2. Quick Separation Agreement

IV. Miscellaneous

A. Key Release

B. Key Release of Liability and Disclosure Agreement


These documents are all in Word format (not PDF) so you can add your company name and tweak them to your model. Most were crafted for us by attorney Monica Gilroy in response to someone blaming, suing or terminating us over something we didn’t want to happen again.