Experts in Local Property Management
We work with first-time landlords, self-managing landlords, and experienced owners in Washington, DC who are ready to change property management companies. At Columbia Property Management, we are your partners – here to take care of your DC investment property while you live your life.
Our property management services are based on the idea that you should focus on building long-term wealth real estate investments while we manage the rental relationship. We help our Washington, DC clients develop and execute strategic investment goals.
Owner Services
Rental Business License Services
Landlords in the District of Columbia are required to have a business license and to register with the Rental Accommodations Division. We have done hundreds of these for our clients and can efficiently handle this process for you so you don’t have to learn the procedures and manage the paperwork. This service can be bundled with full service property management packages, or we can do it for you separately. It’s just part of the reason we’re the most comprehensive property management company in Washington, DC.
Marketing and Leasing Services
Marketing rental property requires skill, strategy, and a thorough understanding of the local and even neighborhood markets. At Columbia Property Management, we’ll be strategic with pricing, advertise and show your rental, conduct stringent screening, manage the application process, and negotiate the best lease terms for you possible. Our service includes an in-person orientation at the property for all new tenants.
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It’s another reason we’re the property management company that Washington, DC owners trust with their investments.
Ongoing Management Services
Once a tenant is placed, we’ll handle everything from rental property maintenance to property management accounting. Our team will be the point of contact if there’s an emergency repair issue, a tenant dispute, or a situation in the neighborhood. You can count on us to communicate with you and the tenants, provide detailed and transparent accounting, and save you money on any necessary repairs.
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Get a Free Property Manager Selection Tool
There are questions to ask anyone who proposes to manage your DC property for you. There are also questions to ask yourself. What you want is a professional who fills vacancies quickly with good renters, who provides accurate and timely rent payouts, and who maintains your property with prompt and cost-effective repairs, as needed. A good communicator is also key.
Scott was incredibly helpful. He worked with us through all our questions about property management, rental rates, contracts, and tenants. We would recommend him without reservation if you're looking for someone to find renters or to manage your property. And we checked around and his rates are very good compared to the competition. Don't hesitate!
Gina R.Choose the Best Price For You
| Tenant Placement | Gold | Platinum | Investor Tier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Fee | First month's rent (One time) | 7.9% of rent per month * | 9.9% of rent per month * | 11.9% of rent per month * |
| Responsive and Personal Staff | ||||
| Marketing the Property | ||||
| Rent Assessment | ||||
| Finding Tenants | ||||
| Tenant Screening | ||||
| Full Legal Compliance | ||||
| Maintenance Support line | ||||
| Property Maintenance | ||||
| Online Owner Portals | ||||
| On-Time Rent Collection | ||||
| Eviction Process Handling | ||||
| Accurate Property Accounting and Reporting | ||||
| Monthly Owner Statements ad Electronic Deposit of Rent Funds | ||||
| Resident Orientation | Watches orientation video | Staff member meets new residents at the property for a walk-through orientation | Property Manager meets new residents at the property for a walk-through orientation | |
| On-site inspections | 2 per year | 4 per year | 4 per year | |
| Recurring bills payment | $15 per utility per month | |||
| Home Warranty Management | $100 per incident | |||
| Process a rental license renewal | $50 | |||
| Property Tax payments | $25 | |||
| Mail pick-up from property | $15 | |||
| Equipment Rental | $25 per device per day | |||
| Investment Advisory Services |
Tenant Placement
Responsive and Personal Staff »
We pride ourselves on serving you and what matters most to you: Being able to reach someone, getting a response back in a timely manner, dealing with pleasant people.Marketing the Property »
We use a comprehensive advertising tool for online ads to reach potential tenants. We will decide together whether listing the property in MLS or other community systems makes sense for your property.Rent Assessment »
We thoroughly research market rates to maximize the rent amount. We also tour the property to make recommendations on property improvements to increase asking rents.Finding Tenants »
We use in-house and external leasing agents to gather as many applicants as possible.Tenant Screening »
We have strict standards and a judicious screening and qualifications process. We require a detailed application, checks on credit, income, background, and previous landlord reports. In some cases we also require character reference letters. We mostly place tenants with credit scores of 650 or above.Full Legal Compliance »
We conduct all our leasing activities in accordance with Disctrict of Columbia and Federal law as well as the National Association of Residential Property Managers Code of Ethics.
Gold
Responsive and Personal Staff »
We pride ourselves on serving you and what matters most to you: Being able to reach someone, getting a response back in a timely manner, dealing with pleasant people.Marketing the Property »
We use a comprehensive advertising tool for online ads to reach potential tenants. We will decide together whether listing the property in MLS or other community systems makes sense for your property.Rent Assessment »
We thoroughly research market rates to maximize the rent amount. We also tour the property to make recommendations on property improvements to increase asking rents.Finding Tenants »
We use in-house and external leasing agents to gather as many applicants as possible.Tenant Screening »
We have strict standards and a judicious screening and qualifications process. We require a detailed application, checks on credit, income, background, and previous landlord reports. In some cases we also require character reference letters. We mostly place tenants with credit scores of 650 or above.Full Legal Compliance »
We conduct all our leasing activities in accordance with Disctrict of Columbia and Federal law as well as the National Association of Residential Property Managers Code of Ethics.Maintenance Support line »
We have a maintenance line staffed 24-hours with personnel equipped to answer questions, troubleshoot common problems, and get vendors dispatched promptly.Property Maintenance »
We have dedicated maintenance teams and a “sister” maintenance company to ensure prompt repairs.Online Owner Portals »
Log in anytime to view bills, reports, or pending maintenance requests. Communicate directly to our property managers and send additional funds electronically for big projects.On-Time Rent Collection »
The Tenant Portal offers electronic payment of rent which helps to improve rent collection. We have strict policies and standards in place to collect rent as effectively as possible. Our deliquency rate is less than 1% of all rents collected.Eviction Process Handling »
Our tenant screening guidelines minimize the need to evict tenants, however in the unlikely event that a tenant needs to be removed from the property, we will execute a strategy with you and a DC Landlord Tenant AttorneyAccurate Property Accounting and Reporting »
We have an in-house bookkeeper who oversees all accounting and reporting functions. Our CPA firm validates all of our accounting on a monthly basis to make sure it is accurate. We use Propertyware management software -- the most comprehensive integrated accounting, lease management, maintenance, and advertising software available.Monthly Owner Statements ad Electronic Deposit of Rent Funds »
We save time and paper by using email to send monthly owner statementsResident Orientation »
All managed residents receive an orientation at move-in to make sure they understand our policies and how to take care of the property ( Watches orientation video )On-site inspections »
We will conduct a minimum of twice yearly inspections to check on minor repairs needed and how the tenant is taking care of the property, check for lease violations, etc. Roommate households with more than two people and subsidized housing require three to four inspections per year per CPM policy and is better to insure your property is being well taken care of per the lease requirements.( 2 per year )Recurring bills payment »
No extra charges for managing and back-charging utility payments, condo fees, security alarm payments, etc. ( $15 per utility per month )Home Warranty Management »
When we spend time to handle a maintenance request that is covered by a home warranty, it often causes us to spend 3-4 times the time and effort. Often the initial company responding does not work out and we have to fight with the home warranty company to get a response or a quality vendor, versus us having the flexibilty to use one of our trusted vendors. Also, the vendors used by home warranty companies require a payment at the property in order to do the service, requiring our time to go to the rental to meet them. ( $100 per incident )Process a rental license renewal »
Every two years the rental license has to be renewed. We work hard to keep track of all due dates and to renew them on time, make sure any changes are reflected in the new license, and sometimes this requires making a special trip to the city offices to do a renewal correctly.( $50 )Property Tax payments »
Sometimes owners do not have the property tax payments automated. CPM can cover this on their behalf (twice yearly) ( $25 )Mail pick-up from property »
If an owner maintains the rental address for receiving mail and CPM needs to retrieve it from time to time, we will make a special trip to the rental on a regular basis for this task. ( $15 )Equipment Rental »
CPM strives to provide relief to our residents when outages occur in air conditioning or heating. We have portable units in storage that we will place at the rental for temporary relief if the repair is delayed due to parts, etc. This decreases the chance the owner will have to pay a partial rent rebate for service outages.( $25 per device per day )
Platinum
Responsive and Personal Staff »
We pride ourselves on serving you and what matters most to you: Being able to reach someone, getting a response back in a timely manner, dealing with pleasant people.Marketing the Property »
We use a comprehensive advertising tool for online ads to reach potential tenants. We will decide together whether listing the property in MLS or other community systems makes sense for your property.Rent Assessment »
We thoroughly research market rates to maximize the rent amount. We also tour the property to make recommendations on property improvements to increase asking rents.Finding Tenants »
We use in-house and external leasing agents to gather as many applicants as possible.Tenant Screening »
We have strict standards and a judicious screening and qualifications process. We require a detailed application, checks on credit, income, background, and previous landlord reports. In some cases we also require character reference letters. We mostly place tenants with credit scores of 650 or above.Full Legal Compliance »
We conduct all our leasing activities in accordance with Disctrict of Columbia and Federal law as well as the National Association of Residential Property Managers Code of Ethics.Maintenance Support line »
We have a maintenance line staffed 24-hours with personnel equipped to answer questions, troubleshoot common problems, and get vendors dispatched promptly.Property Maintenance »
We have dedicated maintenance teams and a “sister” maintenance company to ensure prompt repairs.Online Owner Portals »
Log in anytime to view bills, reports, or pending maintenance requests. Communicate directly to our property managers and send additional funds electronically for big projects.On-Time Rent Collection »
The Tenant Portal offers electronic payment of rent which helps to improve rent collection. We have strict policies and standards in place to collect rent as effectively as possible. Our deliquency rate is less than 1% of all rents collected.Eviction Process Handling »
Our tenant screening guidelines minimize the need to evict tenants, however in the unlikely event that a tenant needs to be removed from the property, we will execute a strategy with you and a DC Landlord Tenant AttorneyAccurate Property Accounting and Reporting »
We have an in-house bookkeeper who oversees all accounting and reporting functions. Our CPA firm validates all of our accounting on a monthly basis to make sure it is accurate. We use Propertyware management software -- the most comprehensive integrated accounting, lease management, maintenance, and advertising software available.Monthly Owner Statements ad Electronic Deposit of Rent Funds »
We save time and paper by using email to send monthly owner statementsResident Orientation »
All managed residents receive an orientation at move-in to make sure they understand our policies and how to take care of the property ( Staff member meets new residents at the property for a walk-through orientation )On-site inspections »
We will conduct a minimum of twice yearly inspections to check on minor repairs needed and how the tenant is taking care of the property, check for lease violations, etc. Roommate households with more than two people and subsidized housing require three to four inspections per year per CPM policy and is better to insure your property is being well taken care of per the lease requirements.( 4 per year )Recurring bills payment »
No extra charges for managing and back-charging utility payments, condo fees, security alarm payments, etc.Home Warranty Management »
When we spend time to handle a maintenance request that is covered by a home warranty, it often causes us to spend 3-4 times the time and effort. Often the initial company responding does not work out and we have to fight with the home warranty company to get a response or a quality vendor, versus us having the flexibilty to use one of our trusted vendors. Also, the vendors used by home warranty companies require a payment at the property in order to do the service, requiring our time to go to the rental to meet them.Process a rental license renewal »
Every two years the rental license has to be renewed. We work hard to keep track of all due dates and to renew them on time, make sure any changes are reflected in the new license, and sometimes this requires making a special trip to the city offices to do a renewal correctly.Property Tax payments »
Sometimes owners do not have the property tax payments automated. CPM can cover this on their behalf (twice yearly)Mail pick-up from property »
If an owner maintains the rental address for receiving mail and CPM needs to retrieve it from time to time, we will make a special trip to the rental on a regular basis for this task.Equipment Rental »
CPM strives to provide relief to our residents when outages occur in air conditioning or heating. We have portable units in storage that we will place at the rental for temporary relief if the repair is delayed due to parts, etc. This decreases the chance the owner will have to pay a partial rent rebate for service outages.
Investor Tier
Responsive and Personal Staff »
We pride ourselves on serving you and what matters most to you: Being able to reach someone, getting a response back in a timely manner, dealing with pleasant people.Marketing the Property »
We use a comprehensive advertising tool for online ads to reach potential tenants. We will decide together whether listing the property in MLS or other community systems makes sense for your property.Rent Assessment »
We thoroughly research market rates to maximize the rent amount. We also tour the property to make recommendations on property improvements to increase asking rents.Finding Tenants »
We use in-house and external leasing agents to gather as many applicants as possible.Tenant Screening »
We have strict standards and a judicious screening and qualifications process. We require a detailed application, checks on credit, income, background, and previous landlord reports. In some cases we also require character reference letters. We mostly place tenants with credit scores of 650 or above.Full Legal Compliance »
We conduct all our leasing activities in accordance with Disctrict of Columbia and Federal law as well as the National Association of Residential Property Managers Code of Ethics.Maintenance Support line »
We have a maintenance line staffed 24-hours with personnel equipped to answer questions, troubleshoot common problems, and get vendors dispatched promptly.Property Maintenance »
We have dedicated maintenance teams and a “sister” maintenance company to ensure prompt repairs.Online Owner Portals »
Log in anytime to view bills, reports, or pending maintenance requests. Communicate directly to our property managers and send additional funds electronically for big projects.On-Time Rent Collection »
The Tenant Portal offers electronic payment of rent which helps to improve rent collection. We have strict policies and standards in place to collect rent as effectively as possible. Our deliquency rate is less than 1% of all rents collected.Eviction Process Handling »
Our tenant screening guidelines minimize the need to evict tenants, however in the unlikely event that a tenant needs to be removed from the property, we will execute a strategy with you and a DC Landlord Tenant AttorneyAccurate Property Accounting and Reporting »
We have an in-house bookkeeper who oversees all accounting and reporting functions. Our CPA firm validates all of our accounting on a monthly basis to make sure it is accurate. We use Propertyware management software -- the most comprehensive integrated accounting, lease management, maintenance, and advertising software available.Monthly Owner Statements ad Electronic Deposit of Rent Funds »
We save time and paper by using email to send monthly owner statementsResident Orientation »
All managed residents receive an orientation at move-in to make sure they understand our policies and how to take care of the property ( Property Manager meets new residents at the property for a walk-through orientation )On-site inspections »
We will conduct a minimum of twice yearly inspections to check on minor repairs needed and how the tenant is taking care of the property, check for lease violations, etc. Roommate households with more than two people and subsidized housing require three to four inspections per year per CPM policy and is better to insure your property is being well taken care of per the lease requirements.( 4 per year )Recurring bills payment »
No extra charges for managing and back-charging utility payments, condo fees, security alarm payments, etc.Home Warranty Management »
When we spend time to handle a maintenance request that is covered by a home warranty, it often causes us to spend 3-4 times the time and effort. Often the initial company responding does not work out and we have to fight with the home warranty company to get a response or a quality vendor, versus us having the flexibilty to use one of our trusted vendors. Also, the vendors used by home warranty companies require a payment at the property in order to do the service, requiring our time to go to the rental to meet them.Process a rental license renewal »
Every two years the rental license has to be renewed. We work hard to keep track of all due dates and to renew them on time, make sure any changes are reflected in the new license, and sometimes this requires making a special trip to the city offices to do a renewal correctly.Property Tax payments »
Sometimes owners do not have the property tax payments automated. CPM can cover this on their behalf (twice yearly)Mail pick-up from property »
If an owner maintains the rental address for receiving mail and CPM needs to retrieve it from time to time, we will make a special trip to the rental on a regular basis for this task.Equipment Rental »
CPM strives to provide relief to our residents when outages occur in air conditioning or heating. We have portable units in storage that we will place at the rental for temporary relief if the repair is delayed due to parts, etc. This decreases the chance the owner will have to pay a partial rent rebate for service outages.Investment Advisory Services »
Our owner will spend hours with our investor clients advising them based on his years of expertise about the local DC rental market. he will strategize to maximize investor's income, evaluate potential investment purchases and propose capital improvement projects.
*Our minimum monthly management fee is $175 per month
*Additional charges apply for subsidized housing programs
*Discounts may apply for portfolios and total monthly fees in excess of $1000. Contact our property manager
What People Are Saying About Us
Ricky W. Karen L. James O.Property Management Run By Locals
We understand the price points, the tenant pool, and the local vendors and contractors.
That's why Columbia Property Management is the most trusted property management company in Washington, DC. We've been involved with the DC real estate and rental market for years. We know the local quirks of the city because we're locals, too.
Columbia Property Management
Mailing Address:
Columbia Property Management
P.O. Box 92488, Washington, DC 20090
Main Office:
1140 3rd Street NE, Floor 2, Washington, DC 20002
T: (888) 857-6594 | F: (202) 600-8165
info@Columbiapm.com