Handing over a property is a trust decision as much as a financial one. These are the questions that tell you the most, and the answers that should reassure you.
Ask about screening standards
A manager who cannot state their approval criteria out loud does not have one. You should be shown a written summary on every applicant they recommend.
- What exactly do you verify — credit, employment, income, references?
- What is your minimum income-to-rent ratio?
- Do I see the screening summary before a tenant is approved?
- What is your average time to fill a vacancy in Ottawa?
Ask about reporting and visibility
This is where most owner frustration comes from — not bad outcomes, but not knowing. Good Tree runs on Crystal Door, so you can open the portal at any hour and see rent status, open maintenance tickets with photos, vendor costs, and statements as they happen.
- Can I see rent, maintenance, and expenses live, or only in a monthly PDF?
- When are owner disbursements made each month?
- Can my accountant pull year-end records directly?
Ask about maintenance
- Who are your vendors, and do you mark up their invoices?
- What spend can you approve without calling me?
- How are after-hours emergencies handled?
- Do I get photos before and after work?
Ask about the contract itself
A manager confident in their service does not need a long lock-in. Look for a clear exit with reasonable notice.
- What is the term, and how do I exit?
- Is there a termination fee?
- Who holds the last month's rent deposit, and where?
- What insurance do you carry, and am I named?
Ask about Ontario compliance
Ontario's residential tenancy rules are prescriptive. Notices served incorrectly are notices that do not count, and that costs months. Local experience matters more here than portfolio size.
- Do you use the Ontario standard lease form?
- How do you handle rent increase notices and the annual guideline?
- Have you represented owners at the Landlord and Tenant Board?
Then check the human part
Call their office line at 4:45pm on a weekday and see who picks up. Ask for two owner references with properties like yours. Read how they write — the tone in an email is the tone your tenants will get.
Sources
General information for Ottawa owners, not legal advice.
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