Remote Rental Admin for Small Landlords in Canada

Owners of a few rental units, such as basement suites, duplexes or condos, who are busy with other work or live elsewhere.

A monthly fee per unit or a flat monthly fee per landlord, with extra charges for one-off jobs like lease preparation or year-end reports.

• Careful with numbers and records
• Good written communication
• Organized and dependable
• Comfortable with spreadsheets or accounting software

• Handling other people's rent money: check whether you need a separate trust account and what your province requires
• Some provinces regulate property managers or rental collection, so check with your provincial real estate or housing regulator
• Landlord and tenant law differs by province (and Quebec has its own rules), so stick to admin unless you are qualified to advise
• Professional liability (errors and omissions) and commercial general liability insurance
• Protecting tenant personal information under privacy law, check your province's rules
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold

Startup costs are typically around $300 to $2,000, depending on the accounting or spreadsheet software you choose, your insurance and how you set up your website and paperwork templates. You work from home, so premises costs are not part of the estimate.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $500 to $3,500, depending on how many landlords you serve, how many units they own and what you charge. The estimate assumes at least about 6 hours a week.

Check whether you need a separate trust account for rent money and whether your province regulates property managers or rent collection. Also check landlord and tenant rules, Quebec's own rules, insurance, tenant privacy law, home-based licensing and GST/HST registration.