Dallas rental operations · October 14, 2026
Underwrite the manager, not just the monthly fee.
Map authority, scope, fees, money controls and the exit handoff before management assumptions enter a Dallas rental model.
Quick answer
Ask for the proposed management agreement and full fee schedule, then verify who will lease, collect money, approve repairs, retain records and communicate with tenants. Model the complete annual cost under occupied, vacant, renewal, repair and termination scenarios.
A license lookup, proposal or headline percentage does not prove performance or define authority. The signed agreement, applicable law and property-specific operating plan control.
Review the whole management handoff.
0 of 5 reviewedNothing is stored or sent. This board does not verify a license, interpret an agreement or recommend a manager.
1. Identify the responsible broker and company
TREC training materials explain that leasing and property-management activity can require a real-estate license, subject to stated exceptions. Confirm the legal entity, designated broker, license status and who may sign or act for the owner. TREC Broker Responsibility manual
2. Turn the service list into named decisions
For marketing, applications, screening, lease signing, rent collection, notices, inspections, maintenance, emergencies and renewals, record who decides, who performs, what approval limit applies and what evidence the owner receives. Keep local registration duties in a separate lane using the Dallas rental-registration guide.
3. Model the whole fee stack
Current DFW pricing pages show that firms package monthly management, tenant placement, renewal, inspection and maintenance coordination differently. Use actual written proposals and the same rent, vacancy and turnover assumptions; do not treat a market range as your quote. Example DFW published fee structure
Run each proposal through the Dallas rental-property analyzer. Preserve any minimum fee, fee-on-collected-versus-scheduled-rent rule, markup, reserve requirement and early-termination charge.
4. Trace money, deposits and records
Document where rent and deposits are held, who can disburse, statement timing, invoice access, owner reserves and reconciliation at transfer. Texas Property Code Section 92.103 generally places the residential security-deposit refund obligation on the landlord by the 30th day after surrender, subject to the statute’s conditions and exceptions. Delegating work does not replace a property-specific legal review. Texas Property Code Chapter 92
5. Prewrite the exit handoff
Before signing, map notice, termination fees, tenant communications, lease files, keys, deposits, owner funds, vendor work and final accounting. Ask what happens if the property sells, the manager changes brokerages or an active repair crosses the termination date.
Make the operating agreement auditable.
One written responsibility map is more useful than a low headline percentage with unclear authority and handoffs.
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