How To Manage A Property Yourself From Thousands Of Kilometers Away
#Post3 – Managing Dozens of Rental Units… from Afar 🏠💻
In my amazing partner Ronen’s post last week (links at the end),
he went over the different types of rentals we work with:
Long-term rentals
Mid-term rentals
Short-term rentals
Hourly rentals (oh boy, we definitely don’t do those 😅)
Within those categories, there are also variations — Section 8 housing, co-living homes, and more.
Today, we manage around 40 rental units of all types ourselves, remotely.
That includes long-term tenants, short-term guests, and even a few ongoing renovations.
So… how on earth do we manage all that from afar?
🏡 Long-Term Rentals
“Isn’t that chaos?”
Not at all — thanks to great property management software.
We use TurboTenant (paid version) which handles everything from advertising the property, screening tenants, managing applications, contracts, deposits, payments, and even maintenance requests.
Where do we find tenants?
We list our rentals through TurboTenant, which automatically posts to dozens of websites (except Zillow).
For affordable housing and Section 8 tenants, we also use AffordableHousing.com, which does post on Zillow and brings in many leads with rent vouchers or government assistance.
We manage all leads through TurboTenant, where prospects fill out a pre-screening form.
We also list our minimum requirements upfront — this sets expectations and saves everyone time.
⚖️ Important: Learn the local Fair Housing laws — what you can and can’t say to applicants. It’ll save you trouble later.
Those who pass the screening are invited for showings and background checks.
Sometimes, we keep “good” leads who didn’t get one unit for future vacancies — this keeps our occupancy high and turnover quick.
Plus, referrals from happy tenants or past applicants bring in more great renters!
Maintenance
“What if someone calls at 3AM with a burst pipe?”
It’s never actually happened 😉
Most maintenance issues can wait a few hours, and we prioritize based on urgency.
We prefer to handle maintenance ourselves, but hybrid options exist — TurboTenant and other tools (like Hemlane) can automate maintenance calls if you prefer.
We work with a small, trusted team: handyman, plumber, electrician, and HVAC tech.
If they’re busy, we have backups — but it’s usually the same crew.
If you worry about being unavailable, you can share vendor contact info with tenants for emergencies or assign a local contact person or VA (virtual assistant) to coordinate.
Licenses, inspections, evictions?
The first time it all seems overwhelming — but once you’ve done it once, it suddenly feels manageable… even fun.
🏘 Mid-Term Rentals (1–6 months)
Where do we find tenants?
Mostly through Furnished Finder, some through Airbnb, insurance companies, or professionals relocating for a few months — like traveling nurses, consultants, or families on temporary assignments.
Referrals and repeat guests also help a lot (thank you all who keep recommending us ❤️).
The screening and maintenance process is nearly identical to long-term rentals.
🏠 Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.)
Where do we find guests?
We list on Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com,
but we also take direct bookings through our own website and returning guests —
this saves over 15% in platform fees!
How do we manage all the bookings, cleanings, and pricing?
Technology is your best friend.
We use a PMS (Property Management System) called Guesty (an Israeli company!) — it syncs everything across platforms and simplifies the process.
“But there are a million messages to answer!”
That’s where automation saves the day.
We have about 6–7 automated messages sent to guests throughout their stay.
Today, there are even AI-based tools that handle guest communication brilliantly.
And what if a guest suddenly wants vanilla coffee at 1AM? ☕😅
Well, I learned the hard way that I don’t want to be chained to my phone forever.
So, we hired someone to cover for us when we’re offline,
and added VAs (virtual assistants) to our guest communication team — they make sure guests are happy 24/7 while we get to live our lives.
💡 Final Thoughts
Self-management sounds complicated —
but like any part of your business, you decide the level of control and involvement you want.
It’s not always easy, but it’s deeply rewarding — and honestly, kind of fun 😉
📚 Recommended Reading (All on BiggerPockets)
Long-Term Rentals: The Book on Managing Rental Properties
Mid-Term Rentals: 30-Day Stay
Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth
Co-Living: Co-Living Cash Flow
🔗 Useful Links
Ronen’s post on rental models: Click here
TurboTenant – Property management system (with a possible $50 signup bonus 😅):
https://turbotenant.com/r/T3duZXI6NDQ5NjcxAirbnb referral link (get $200 credit – maybe!):
https://www.airbnb.com/rp/happyhostsoFurnished Finder (Mid-Term rentals): https://www.furnishedfinder.com/
AffordableHousing.com (Section 8 + Long-Term): https://www.affordablehousing.com/
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