Free Property Manager Job Description Templates
Free property manager job description templates for small business: general, residential, commercial, assistant, and regional. Download as DOCX.
Property Manager Job Description Templates
5 free templates by type. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
For a property owner or management company, the property manager is the person who keeps buildings full, tenants happy, and the books balanced. Hiring the right one matters, and the job description is where you make the role clear. Property manager is a broad title, though: a residential manager running an apartment community, a commercial manager handling office leases, an assistant learning the ropes, and a regional manager overseeing a portfolio do very different work. A specific posting filters for the person who fits both the type and the reality of your properties.
At FirstHR, we build for small businesses that hire without an HR department, and property management is one of the most fragmented small-business industries there is, full of independent operators and small firms where the owner writes the posting personally. The five templates below cover the most common versions of the role: general, residential, commercial, assistant, and senior/regional. Each is ready to use. Fill in the bracketed fields, adjust to match your portfolio, and post. For the general principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Is a Property Manager Job Description?
A property manager job description is a document that explains the role's purpose, responsibilities, skills, and pay so you can post a job and attract the right candidates. It typically covers a job summary, key responsibilities, required skills and certifications, the salary range, and how to apply. The SHRM job description tools describe a job description as a plain-language tool that explains the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position, and that standard applies whether you are a national management firm or a single landlord with a few units.
People search both property manager job description and property management job description for the same thing: a clear description of the role. Because the title spans residential, commercial, assistant, and regional work, the most important job of the description is to make the type and scope unmistakable. If the role leans more toward running an office or operations than managing buildings, the operations manager job description templates may fit better.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template that matches the type of property manager you need. The core structure is the same across all five, but each one emphasizes the responsibilities, skills, and language that fit a specific kind of role. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Property Manager Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each one follows the same structure: company overview, job summary, responsibilities, skills, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Template 1: Property Manager (General)
The universal baseline. Tenants, leasing, maintenance, rent, and budgets for any property. Use this if your role does not fit cleanly into a specific type.
Template 2: Residential Property Manager
Focused on residents, leasing, occupancy, and unit turns for an apartment community or rental portfolio. For a people-oriented, resident-facing role.
Template 3: Commercial Property Manager
Adds commercial leases, CAM reconciliations, and financial reporting for office, retail, or industrial property. For an experienced, finance-minded manager.
Template 4: Assistant Property Manager
Supports the property manager with daily operations: tenant communications, leasing help, rent processing, and maintenance coordination. For a growing hire.
Template 5: Senior / Regional Property Manager
Oversees a portfolio, supervises on-site managers, and owns budgets and P&L across a region. For an experienced leader who runs multiple properties.
What Does a Property Manager Do?
A property manager runs the operations of a property on behalf of the owner. The duties fall into four broad categories. A good job description picks the specific duties from each category that apply to your properties and type rather than listing every possible task.
The mix shifts by type: a commercial manager weighs heavily toward lease administration and financials, while a residential manager spends more time on resident relations and leasing. At a small operation, one manager usually covers all four categories. For help scoping the role precisely before you write the posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through a simple process.
Residential vs Commercial Property Manager
The most important distinction in this role is residential versus commercial. They share a core but differ enough that you should decide which you need before writing the posting. This table shows how they typically differ.
| Responsibility | Residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Manages resident relations and leasing | ||
| Focuses on occupancy and unit turns | ||
| Administers commercial leases | ||
| Handles CAM reconciliations and NOI | ||
| Emphasis on financial reporting | ||
| People- and service-oriented role |
A residential manager leans toward people, leasing, and occupancy; a commercial manager leans toward leases, finances, and operations. The experience, certifications, and pay differ accordingly, so match the template to your property type. At a small mixed portfolio, the general template covers both until the role specializes.
Certifications to Require
Property management certifications are usually preferred rather than required, especially at a small operation, but naming relevant ones helps you attract experienced candidates. These are the most recognized credentials by property type.
| Certification | Issued by | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| CPM (Certified Property Manager) | IREM | Experienced residential or commercial managers |
| ARM (Accredited Residential Manager) | IREM | Residential site managers |
| CAM (Certified Apartment Manager) | NAA | Apartment and multifamily managers |
| CAPS (Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor) | NAA | Regional and portfolio supervisors |
| CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) | CAI | HOA and community association managers |
List only the certifications you truly require as must-haves and treat the rest as preferred. Many states also require a real estate license for certain leasing or management activities, so check your state's rules and state any requirement clearly. The IREM certifications overview details the CPM and ARM credentials and what they cover.
Skills and Requirements
Most property manager roles value organization, communication, and problem-solving alongside knowledge of fair housing and landlord-tenant law. Beyond that, the specific skills shift by type, and the strongest postings use concrete, measurable language.
| Weak bullet | Strong bullet |
|---|---|
| Handle tenants | Manage tenant relations, communications, and retention |
| Do leasing | Handle leasing, screening, applications, and renewals |
| Collect rent | Collect rent and manage delinquencies and evictions |
| Manage maintenance | Coordinate repairs, vendors, and unit turns |
| Know the rules | Ensure fair housing and local code compliance |
Specific, measurable duties attract candidates who can actually do the work and signal a serious employer. Keep the language neutral and inclusive too, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For recognized tasks and skills you can borrow, the O*NET profile for property and real estate managers lists standard responsibilities and work activities.
Property Manager Pay
Set your salary range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for property type, portfolio size, region, and experience. Pay rises significantly from assistant to general to commercial and regional roles.
Position your range against the type and seniority: assistant and entry-level managers sit below the median, while commercial and senior or regional managers sit above it. Pay often includes bonuses tied to occupancy or financial performance. Always publish a range. It is now legally required in many states and it attracts more qualified applicants. Federal wage and hour rules also apply, so review the basics in the Department of Labor FLSA standards before you set pay and classify the role.
Hiring a Property Manager Without an HR Department
Large management firms have HR teams, recruiters, and specialized roles. A small operator or independent landlord has none of that. The owner writes the posting, interviews, and onboards the new hire personally, and the property manager often wears many hats. As the portfolio grows, the same is true of other roles, which is why hiring an assistant manager later follows a similar hands-on pattern. The SBA guide to hiring and managing employees covers the basics for a small business. Here is how to write the property manager posting for that reality.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the foundation for the offer and the onboarding plan. A property manager needs clear onboarding because they quickly take on tenant relationships, financial responsibility, and access to your properties and systems.
Send a clear offer, collect signed paperwork, store the signed job description in the employee's personnel file, and walk through your properties, software, vendors, and standards in the first days. Once you have your offer ready, an onboarding template gives your new property manager a structured start, and the employment contract template covers the formal agreement if you use one. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, document storage, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a small property management company can manage the full process without a dedicated HR department.
Keeping signed documents on file matters, so the guide to HR document management explains how to organize personnel files even without an HR team. As you add roles, the guide to building an org chart helps you map where the property manager fits and who they report to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a property manager do?
A property manager oversees the day-to-day operations of residential or commercial properties on behalf of the owner. Core duties include managing tenant relations, handling leasing and renewals, collecting rent, coordinating maintenance and vendors, preparing budgets, conducting inspections, and ensuring compliance with fair housing and local regulations. The specifics depend on the type. A residential manager focuses on residents, leasing, and occupancy, while a commercial manager handles commercial leases, CAM reconciliations, and financial reporting. At a small operation, one property manager often handles all of it. A clear job description tells candidates which version of the role you are hiring for.
What should a property manager job description include?
A strong property manager job description includes a job summary, a list of responsibilities, required skills and certifications, a salary range, and how to apply. Responsibilities should be concrete: manage tenant relations, coordinate maintenance and vendors, and prepare property budgets. Name the type of property manager you need, since residential, commercial, assistant, and regional roles differ significantly. List the certifications you require versus prefer, name the property management software you use, and note any real estate license requirements in your state. Being specific filters for candidates who can actually do the work and signals a serious employer.
What is the difference between a residential and commercial property manager?
A residential property manager oversees apartments, single-family rentals, or housing communities, focusing on resident relations, leasing, occupancy, unit turns, and fair housing compliance. A commercial property manager oversees office, retail, or industrial property, focusing on commercial lease administration, CAM (common area maintenance) reconciliations, building operations, and net operating income. Commercial roles are generally more financial and lease-heavy, while residential roles are more people- and service-oriented. The required experience, certifications, and pay differ accordingly. Decide which type matches your portfolio before you write the posting, since a residential and a commercial manager are genuinely different hires.
What certifications should a property manager have?
Certifications vary by property type and are usually preferred rather than required, especially at a small operation. For residential and multifamily, the National Apartment Association offers CAM (Certified Apartment Manager) and CAPS (Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor). The Institute of Real Estate Management offers CPM (Certified Property Manager) and ARM (Accredited Residential Manager), which are respected across both residential and commercial. For community and HOA management, the Community Associations Institute offers CMCA. Many states also require a real estate license to perform certain leasing or management activities. List the certifications you truly require as must-haves and treat the rest as preferred to keep your applicant pool wide.
Does a property manager need a real estate license?
It depends on your state and the specific duties. Many states require a real estate broker or salesperson license to perform certain activities like leasing, showing units, or collecting rent on behalf of an owner, while others have property management exemptions or separate licenses. On-site managers of residential property are exempt in some states. Because the rules vary significantly, always check your state's real estate commission requirements before you post, and state any license requirement clearly in the job description. When in doubt, note that a relevant license is required or preferred and confirm the specifics with your state agency.
What is the salary range for a property manager?
Property manager pay varies by property type, portfolio size, region, and experience. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of about $66,700 for property, real estate, and community association managers in May 2024. Assistant and entry-level managers sit below the median, while commercial and senior or regional managers overseeing large portfolios earn well above it. Pay often includes bonuses tied to occupancy or financial performance. Always state a salary range in your posting, since pay transparency is required in many states and a clear range attracts more qualified applicants while filtering out mismatches early.
How do I write a property manager job description for a small business?
Describe the real, often broad scope rather than copying a large management firm's narrow role. At a small operation or for an independent landlord, the property manager usually wears many hats: tenants, leasing, rent, maintenance, and budgets, often reporting straight to the owner. Be honest about that breadth, decide whether you need residential or commercial focus, and set realistic certification requirements rather than a long wish list. The general and residential templates here are written specifically for small operators and landlords hiring without a dedicated HR or staffing team.
What happens after I hire a property manager?
Once a candidate accepts, the job description becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding. A property manager needs clear onboarding because they take on tenant relationships, financial responsibility, and access to your systems quickly. Send a clear offer, collect signed paperwork, store the signed job description in their personnel file, and walk through your properties, software, vendors, and standards in the first days. FirstHR handles the offer, document collection, e-signature, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a small property management company or landlord can move a new property manager from hire to fully running a property without a dedicated HR department.