It also helps if you have a variety of skills and can be flexible in order to work with many different tenants. If you are applying for an apartment manager job keep in mind that these positions require frequent dealings with tenants, visitors, other apartment staff, vendors and contractors, so having an open schedule and the ability to deal with the public is going to be critical factors that employers and apartment owners will need to see.
An apartment manager will be responsible for seeing, that the units are rented and will handle the receipt and deposit of all monies. This requires that candidates be familiar with basic accounting procedures. These people will also have to maintain accurate records on the tenants as well as records about the upkeep and activity at the apartment complex. There are bills to be paid, garbage to be picked up, and cleaning of apartments and grounds that must be done on a daily basis. If these duties are not in the managers list of tasks it will still be their responsibility to see that these assignments are completed in a timely fashion.
Showing the apartments to prospective renters is also part of an apartment manager's job. This means that you must schedule showings as well as be prepared to show a model apartment or a vacant unit at a moment's notice. Many of the managers will host gatherings or potluck activities for the tenants several times a year, and all of this has to be scheduled in amongst the routine duties of the job. Keeping the grounds neatly manicured, the buildings painted, and making sure that the property is safe for tenants and visitors is extremely important.
Most apartment manager openings do not have set requirements as far as education, but a high school diploma or GED is still going to be an asset. Higher education would also help, but most of the jobs would consider maintenance skills, prior management experience or bilingual skills to be quite desirable. Taking some community college or online courses that deal with accounting and management will also be of great benefit.
You will find that most of these positions provide a place to stay as part of the job package. This is one of the biggest benefits for most applicants because the apartment that they are given is usually on a rent-free basis. If you have maintenance and housekeeping skills and the complex is a small one, it will benefit your job application to make sure that these are mentioned prominently.
In some of the larger cities, having a guaranteed apartment in a nice complex is the biggest draw in applying for an apartment manager position. Housing can be hard to find in some of the more popular metropolitan locations and even though you have to work some long hours as a manager, it can be worth the effort.
Some of the top apartment manager postings will be found on ManagerCrossing, which is one of the online job posting sites that specialize in management job openings. There are a few of these positions for apartment managers jobs that may not provide onsite housing, and a few others that only subsidize a portion of the rental on the management unit, so be sure and find this out at the beginning of the interview.
While managing an apartment building or complex may sound easy, there is a great deal of responsibility when you accept this position. You have to familiarize yourself with many of the rules about tenants and landlords, and know the paperwork and contracts that you will be helping prospective renters fill out.
Being able to handle late rent payments and sullen tenants is all part of the job. The owners of the apartments will expect you to be able to make certain that the monthly payments are all paid in a timely manner, and if not, you will have to take the proper legal action with tenants to rectify the situation.
Most of the apartment managers jobs require the successful applicant to be able to supervise maintenance staff and cleaners to help them get the units ready after a tenant vacates the premises, but sometimes these duties will fall upon the shoulders of the managers. Knowing how to clean apartments properly is going to be required, and you should know how to inspect them to make sure that other people have cleaned them to proper standards.
Managers of apartment buildings are also responsible for replacing outdated equipment like kitchen appliances or having them repaired if this is feasible. Budgets are given for the upkeep of the units and it is very important for a good manager to stay within the parameters that they are given.
