What does the job involve day to day?
You look after a portfolio of let homes for landlords who have handed over management. Once a tenant is in, the property is your responsibility. You carry out routine inspections and write them up. When the tenant reports a leak or a broken boiler, you raise the job with a contractor and get the landlord's approval if the cost needs it. You collect rent, chase arrears, answer tenant questions and keep the landlord told what is happening.
Compliance takes up a large share of the week. Under the HSE's gas rules a Gas Safe registered engineer must check gas appliances every year. Tenants must get a copy of the record within 28 days, new tenants must get one before they move in, and the record must be kept for 2 years. The HSE says that where the management contract gives the agent this responsibility, the landlord's duties apply to the agent too. Electrics must be inspected at least every 5 years by a properly qualified person.
Deposits, arrears and the end of a tenancy
In England and Wales the deposit must go into a government-approved scheme within 30 days of being received. The approved schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. When the tenancy ends, you do the check-out against the inventory, propose any deductions and negotiate them. Once the landlord and tenant agree the amount, the deposit must be returned within 10 days. If they cannot agree, the money stays protected in the scheme until the dispute is settled.
Since 1 May 2026 in England, assured shorthold tenancies have become assured periodic tenancies, and section 21 'no fault' notices have gone. Possession now needs a section 8 notice citing a legal ground. For many grounds the notice period is 4 months. On arrears, a court must make a possession order only once the tenant owes 3 months' rent. Rent increases use Form 4A, with at least 2 months' notice and no more than one increase a year.
How it differs from lettings negotiating and block management
A lettings negotiator works at the front of the process. They win instructions, market homes, carry out viewings and agree tenancies. A property manager takes over after the tenant has moved in. The skills are different. Negotiators are judged on deals done. Managers are judged on how well they keep tenancies running: low arrears, repairs done quickly, safety certificates in date and few complaints.
A block manager looks after a building and its shared parts for the freeholder or a residents' management company. The people they answer to are leaseholders, and the work centres on service charges, budgets and communal repairs. A residential property manager deals with individual let homes, with landlords as clients and tenants as occupiers. Some managers move between the two, but the law, the money and the client relationships are different.
What pay can you expect?
The modelled ONS figures for property management put the UK median at about £46,800, with the middle half earning between £36,200 and £65,800. London is the highest-paid region, with a median of about £55,000. The North East is the lowest, with a median of about £42,400. These figures cover the whole property management category, so an assistant property manager starting out will usually earn below them. A manager running a large portfolio or a team will usually earn above them.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. Ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile for the property management category in the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), brought up to date with a wage index. The regional figures are modelled. Pay depends on portfolio size, whether you manage staff, and location. Refer to the Property Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Redress scheme (England)Firms doing letting or property management work must belong to The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme. A firm that fails to join can be fined up to £5,000.
- Client money protection (England)Agents who hold client money must join a client money protection scheme and keep the money in an account with an FCA-authorised bank or building society. A firm that fails to join can be fined up to £30,000.
- Gas safety knowledgeYou need to know the annual Gas Safe check cycle and the 28-day deadline for giving tenants the record. If the management contract makes the agent responsible, the agent carries the landlord's duties.
- Deposit rulesDeposits must be protected within 30 days. Once the parties agree on deductions, the deposit must be returned within 10 days.
- Renters' Rights Act knowledgeIn England you need to know the section 8 grounds, the Form 4A process for rent increases, the rules on pet requests and the ban on rental bidding.
Across the UK
| England | From 1 May 2026 tenancies are assured periodic tenancies and section 21 evictions have ended. Firms must belong to an approved redress scheme, and to a client money protection scheme if they hold client money. |
|---|---|
| Wales | Rent Smart Wales licenses agents who let or manage rented homes, and all applicants must complete approved training. A licence lasts 5 years from the date it is issued. |
| Scotland | Anyone doing letting agency work must join the Scottish Letting Agent Register and follow the Letting Agent Code of Practice. Letting agency work includes managing a let property, such as collecting rent, inspecting it and arranging repairs. |
How to get there
- StartStart in lettings or as a property administratorProcess repair jobs, chase certificates and support a manager's portfolio. You learn the compliance calendar and the tenancy paperwork.
- Year 1-2Assistant property managerCarry out inspections and check-outs, handle tenant queries and deal with routine arrears under supervision.
- Year 2-4Property managerRun your own portfolio, deal with landlords directly, handle deposit disputes and serve possession notices.
- Year 4+Senior or portfolio managerTake on larger or harder portfolios, train junior staff and deal with escalated complaints.
- Later careerLettings or property management headRun the department, including compliance, client money controls and redress-scheme complaints.
Open now on PropertyRoles.uk
Questions people ask
Is a property manager the same as a letting agent?
Not quite. Many letting agencies offer both services, but the letting side finds and signs up tenants and the management side runs the tenancy afterwards. In larger firms these are separate teams with separate job titles.
How often must gas safety checks be done?
Every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Existing tenants must receive a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, new tenants must get one before they move in, and the record must be kept for 2 years.
How quickly must a tenancy deposit be protected?
In England and Wales the deposit must be placed in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of being received. Once the landlord and tenant agree how much is returned, it must be repaid within 10 days.
Can a property manager still serve a section 21 notice in England?
No. Since 1 May 2026 section 21 no-fault evictions have ended in England. Possession requires a section 8 notice citing a legal ground, and for many grounds the notice period is 4 months.
How do rent increases work now in England?
You serve Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice. Rent can go up no more than once a year, and the tenant can challenge an increase that is above the open market rent.
Does a property manager in Wales need a licence?
Yes, if they let or manage rented homes in Wales. Rent Smart Wales issues the licence after approved training, and it lasts 5 years.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Renters' Rights Act, an overview for landlords
- GOV.UK: Tenancy deposit protection
- HSE: Gas safety, landlords and letting agents
- GOV.UK: Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors
- GOV.UK: Registering with a redress scheme as a property agent
- GOV.UK: Protecting clients' money if you're a property agent
- Rent Smart Wales: Landlord and agent licensing
- Rent Smart Wales: Training courses
- mygov.scot: Letting agent registration, who needs to register
- Scottish Letting Agent Register: Who should register
