There are many advantages to using a leasing or rental agency to manage your rental properties. They are experienced at screening applicants and choosing acceptable renters based on verifiable employment, income, and references, rather than on gut instinct or emotion. When the refridgerator dies on a Saturday afternoon, or the plumbing backs up in the middle of the night, they are the ones who will deal with it instead of you. They are also experienced with collections and evictions, which most property owners find particularly distasteful and distressing. When a renter decamps in the middle of the night leaving rent owing and damages that must be repaired before the property can be rented again, they will know the best ways to deal with the situation. In short, they will handle all the parts that make rental properties a headache. The disadvantage is that they will charge for this service. Managing rentals is not just a matter of sitting back and collecting rent checks. While there are many good tenants, they are apparently in the minority, and a bad tenant can be a disaster. Unless you have experience in managing rental properties, it will be worth your time to at least talk with several management companies and find out what they offer and what they charge. Ask questions about how they deal with the various scenarios mentioned above, and you'll gain a good understanding of how much time and trouble they will save you relative to what they charge.