Get Referrals
One of the best ways to find a super is through a referral. Contact Realtors, other property investors and nearby property owners to see if they know of anyone who may be interested in the position. Your local real estate investor network can be a great resource for this because with one email you can reach hundreds, maybe even thousands of people, depending on your area.
Referrals are a great way to find a super because the individual worked for someone, and they approved of the job he or she did. Of course, you should not rely solely on the referral. You must interview and check the candidate yourself to determine if he or she is actually qualified and is a good match to manage your rentals.
Run Background Checks/Check Their References
You want a thorough picture of the person you are going to hire to help manage your property and tenants. You should therefore run a background check, a credit check and follow up with the individual’s references.
- Background Check: A background check will search for any prior criminal activity. The super will likely be entering tenant’s apartments, so they must be trustworthy. You must rule out anyone who has been convicted of sexual crimes, violent crimes or any sort of drug related offenses. All of these behaviors can jeopardize the health and safety of your tenants. The background check is also conducted to make sure the individual is who they are claiming to be.
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- Credit Check: You should run a credit check on all prospective supers. If they will be paying rent, this is to help determine their financial picture. Do they have a good credit score? Do they have a large amount of debt? If they are irresponsible with their own money, how can you trust that they will be responsible for your large investment? Confront the prospective super about any issues that have come up in the credit report to see if there is a valid explanation.
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- Reference Check: You should contact all references the super has put down on their application. Contact any previous or current employers to see what kind of worker the individual is or was. You will want to pay particular attention to any previous work they have done in property management. If they currently manage a property, you should visit the property, if possible, to see the condition it is in and to talk to the tenants to see how well they think the super is performing. If the tenants are not happy, they will complain often and/or move.
Interview Several Candidates
You will want to interview several candidates for your property’s superintendent position. You may have one candidate apply and think they are the best fit for the position. That is until you review the credentials of the second candidate, whom you realize is much more qualified. Interviewing several people will help you to more accurately assess each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and to determine which strengths are more important for the super of your property.
Ask the Right Questions
A large part of finding the best super for your property is asking the right questions. Being a good super involves hard work. Technical skills are an important part of the job, but people skills are equally as important since tenant interaction will be an almost daily occurrence.
Basic Questions:
- Why Do You Want to Be a Super?
- Have You Had Previous Experience as a Super?
- What Qualities Do You Believe Will Make You Successful at this Job?
- What Qualities Will Make This Job Difficult for You?
Technical Skills:
- Do You Have Experience With Plumbing, Electrical or Other Construction?
- What Would You Do if a Tenant’s Heat Was Not Working?
- What Would You Do if There Was a Leak Coming From the Ceiling?
- What Would You Do if a Pipe Burst?
- What Would You Do if You Smelled Smoke?
People Skills:
- What Would You Do If a Tenant Is Irate About a Noisy Neighbor?
- What if a Tenant Complains About Rodents/Pests?
- How Would You Handle a Non-pressing Maintenance Issue?
Check Their License/Certification
You will first want to find out what requirements your town has for building superintendents. Do they need to be licensed or certified with the city or state? Are properties with a certain number of units required to have a licensed super?
Once you find out this information, you can check the prospective super’s credentials. Are they licensed or certified according to your town’s rules? Follow up with the town or the institution where they claimed they received their certification to make sure it is actually valid.