Has anyone here ever been an apartment manager?

[MrsBugi]

A friend of mine is the assistant manager in a complex of college students, and another property (35 units) with college students that his company owns is in need of an apartment manager. He was told to find one, and I was asked if I am interested in the position.

I don't have any particularly relevant experience, but my current job has flexible hours and I may be able to do this simultaneously. I would be required to work 3-4 days/week, 3-5 hours/day, more at the beginning of the month to receive and enter rent checks, etc. In exchange, I would receive free rent/utilities in a 2BD/2BA apartment (which would normally rent for $2200/month - I could rent out a room or keep the entire apartment to myself) in a secure building with a pool and gym, $1600/month, and medical/dental benefits.

I'm expecting a learning curve, but imagine I could pick things up pretty quickly. There is a 24-hour maintenance man who lives onsite, and right now every unit is full for the school year. Has anyone ever been an apartment manager, and if so how was your experience?

 

[Ns1]

on one hand, your life will suck because you're dealing with college students

on the other hand, 2bd/2ba that normally rents for 2200 is pretty damn good

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I don't think there's much of a learning curve - people in this industry usually say that it's nothing special or worth talking about, but there's money involved, so if you can get in, no reason not to.

 

[FoBoT]

are you good with people? i couldn't do that because they would ask for silly things that would make me mad

 

[MrsBugi]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
are you good with people? i couldn't do that because they would ask for silly things that would make me mad

I've taught classes on anger management and conflict resolution, so I feel prepared to handle the worst. I can get irritated pretty easily too, but am pretty good at setting and maintaining firm boundaries. I wonder what kind of silly things the tenants could ask for.

 

[MrsBugi]

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I don't think there's much of a learning curve - people in this industry usually say that it's nothing special or worth talking about, but there's money involved, so if you can get in, no reason not to.

As I understand it, few apartment managers are only apartment managers - do you know if this is true or not? Since the hours are flexible and oftentimes it's a pretty smooth operation, apartment managers sometimes have full-time jobs, etc. The former apartment manager was attempting to be an actress, and the flexible hours gave her time to go to auditions, etc.

 

[MrsBugi]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
on one hand, your life will suck because you're dealing with college students

on the other hand, 2bd/2ba that normally rents for 2200 is pretty damn good

No kidding. The place I'm living in right now is tiny.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I don't think there's much of a learning curve - people in this industry usually say that it's nothing special or worth talking about, but there's money involved, so if you can get in, no reason not to.

As I understand it, few apartment managers are only apartment managers - do you know if this is true or not? Since the hours are flexible and oftentimes it's a pretty smooth operation, apartment managers sometimes have full-time jobs, etc. The former apartment manager was attempting to be an actress, and the flexible hours gave her time to go to auditions, etc.

I lived in an apartment a few years ago. The apartment manager there ran about 5 different complexes around town and was in the process of building more. So if you only have one complex to take care of, I highly doubt it would be a full time job.

 

[MrsBugi]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I don't think there's much of a learning curve - people in this industry usually say that it's nothing special or worth talking about, but there's money involved, so if you can get in, no reason not to.

As I understand it, few apartment managers are only apartment managers - do you know if this is true or not? Since the hours are flexible and oftentimes it's a pretty smooth operation, apartment managers sometimes have full-time jobs, etc. The former apartment manager was attempting to be an actress, and the flexible hours gave her time to go to auditions, etc.

I lived in an apartment a few years ago. The apartment manager there ran about 5 different complexes around town and was in the process of building more. So if you only have one complex to take care of, I highly doubt it would be a full time job.

Phew, that's a lot of complexes to manager. I will only have one to be responsible for, and should have no problem fitting it into my schedule then. Here's hoping I'm accepted for the position...

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I don't think there's much of a learning curve - people in this industry usually say that it's nothing special or worth talking about, but there's money involved, so if you can get in, no reason not to.

As I understand it, few apartment managers are only apartment managers - do you know if this is true or not? Since the hours are flexible and oftentimes it's a pretty smooth operation, apartment managers sometimes have full-time jobs, etc. The former apartment manager was attempting to be an actress, and the flexible hours gave her time to go to auditions, etc.

I don't know much about apartment management, but a friend of the family runs a big apartment complex (it serves mostly students at the University of Florida) full time & makes decent money. I think he has a few other duties for the owner, but is kept pretty busy.

 

[Kaspian]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

I would be required to work 3-4 days/week, 3-5 hours/day, more at the beginning of the month to receive and enter rent checks, etc. In exchange, I would receive free rent/utilities in a 2BD/2BA apartment (which would normally rent for $2200/month - I could rent out a room or keep the entire apartment to myself) in a secure building with a pool and gym, $1600/month, and medical/dental benefits.

I'm expecting a learning curve, but imagine I could pick things up pretty quickly. There is a 24-hour maintenance man who lives onsite, and right now every unit is full for the school year. Has anyone ever been an apartment manager, and if so how was your experience?

All that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: Kaspian

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

I would be required to work 3-4 days/week, 3-5 hours/day, more at the beginning of the month to receive and enter rent checks, etc. In exchange, I would receive free rent/utilities in a 2BD/2BA apartment (which would normally rent for $2200/month - I could rent out a room or keep the entire apartment to myself) in a secure building with a pool and gym, $1600/month, and medical/dental benefits.

I'm expecting a learning curve, but imagine I could pick things up pretty quickly. There is a 24-hour maintenance man who lives onsite, and right now every unit is full for the school year. Has anyone ever been an apartment manager, and if so how was your experience?

All that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

$3800 a month plus benifits for 9-20 hours of work a week. Not bad.

 

[kranky]

Sounds like a great deal, but I would wonder if you'd get pestered a lot by people complaining about noise. But with rent value + salary = $45,600, plus the benefits, plus the ability to essentially work another full-time job at the same time... hard to believe they'd have any trouble filling that job, so I'm a little skeptical it's as simple as you've been told.

 

[imported_weadjust]

3:00 AM drunk student pounds on your door cause he is locked out.

3:45 AM neighbor of drunk student pounds on your door because of loud party at drunk students.

 

[Tiamat]

thats pretty tempting. If you can deal with the added stress of a second job and college students noise etc. sounds pretty rad. Free housing plus money is nice sounding!

 

[RedCOMET]

Ignore me, I'm not sure if my reply was relevant, too tired to think properly

 

[shopbruin]

with college students, just prepare yourself to deal with mostly noise complaints, people who are locked out, roommates fighting with each other, people trying to sublease the apartment illegally, people coming in and out at all hours of the night, people who have never lived on their own before and coming to you for advice.