A management fee tells you the rate. It does not tell you the job.

Before comparing percentages, establish what work will actually be done, what costs sit outside that fee and which decisions still come back to you. A proposal should make those answers clear.

Long-term tenancy management and short-stay accommodation management involve different routines. Start by describing the service you need. Then ask the manager to explain how it will operate for your property.

My connection: I am Managing Director of Managed by Williams. The company offers long-term and short-term property management. This is a practical checklist for discussing a service, not a prediction of rental income or a recommendation about how you should invest.

Start with the property and the intended use

An enquiry is more useful when it includes the property’s location, current condition, furnishing status and intended availability. Explain whether it is already occupied or managed, and what you want help with.

Changing managers is more than changing a name on an invoice. Ask what information the incoming manager needs, how records will be transferred and how the handover will be communicated to the people affected. Confirm the arrangements before assuming a start date.

If you are considering a different use for the property, establish the applicable requirements with the relevant qualified advisers and authorities. A management proposal alone does not establish that a particular use is permitted or suitable.

Understand the two services

Managed by Williams’ Christchurch long-term service describes tenant placement, rent collection, inspections and maintenance coordination. These are ongoing responsibilities. Ask who handles each one and how you will be kept informed.

Its Christchurch short-term service describes booking and guest communication, pricing and listing management, check-in coordination, cleaning and maintenance. Ask how those activities fit together between stays, and how issues are escalated when somebody needs an answer quickly.

These are different operating models. Comparing a weekly rent with a nightly advertised price does not settle the choice. If you request an appraisal, ask the team to explain its assumptions and limitations. An estimate is not a guaranteed outcome.

Turn the proposal into a responsibility list

For every significant task, ask three questions: who does it, when does it happen, and what information comes back to the owner?

Maintenance is a useful place to start. Establish how problems are reported, which work needs approval, how urgent situations are handled and where the resulting records are kept. Ask how the manager deals with a problem that crosses several responsibilities rather than fitting neatly into one category.

For a furnished property, clarify the starting inventory and the process for damaged, missing or worn items. For short stays, ask who organises the handover between cleaning, maintenance and the next arrival. The proposal should explain the work, not leave you to infer it from the phrase “fully managed”.

Compare fees on the same basis

Read the current fee schedule alongside a written proposal for your property. Managed by Williams lists separate items beyond its management percentages, and some short-stay costs depend on the property. The published schedule states that prices exclude GST.

Ask which listed items apply, what the percentage is calculated on, which costs are charged separately and what needs your approval. If something is not yet priced, identify what information is required to price it. An unanswered line is an open question, not an assumed zero.

Keep the agreed scope and fee basis together. Comparing two proposals is difficult when one includes work that the other prices separately.

Ask what the reporting will tell you

Request an example of the reporting format with any other customer’s information removed. Can you understand what happened, what was charged, which matters remain open and what decision is required from you?

Agree on a contact route as well as a reporting routine. A regular statement and an urgent maintenance question serve different purposes. You should know how each is handled without searching through old correspondence.

Take these questions to the first meeting

  • Which service is being proposed, and what work is included?
  • Who is responsible for the handover and the starting records?
  • Which charges are separate, and what is the fee calculated on?
  • Which decisions need my approval, including urgent maintenance?
  • What reports will I receive, and how do I raise an urgent issue?
  • What remains unconfirmed before the service can begin?

Bring a short brief: the property, the service you are considering, the current arrangements and the questions you need answered. Ask for a proposal that sets out responsibilities, fees, assumptions and the next step.

Use the Managed by Williams contact and rental-appraisal page to reach the team. If you are looking to book accommodation as a guest rather than appoint a manager, Stay With Williams is the separate booking channel.

The useful comparison is not simply “who charges less?” It is whether you understand the service you are buying and how it will be delivered.