Duties
Describe specific responsibilities: leasing, rent collection, maintenance supervision, vendor selection, tenant screening, reporting frequency, and escalation procedures.
A written employment agreement reduces disputes by documenting responsibilities, pay, and termination rules; it also establishes tax and benefits treatment and protects confidential landlord information.
Owners, property management firms, and in-house real estate teams use this agreement to formalize employment terms and reduce ambiguity during leasing, maintenance, and tenant interactions.
It is also used by recruitment and HR teams to ensure consistent onboarding, to support payroll classification, and to meet recordkeeping and compliance obligations.
Describe specific responsibilities: leasing, rent collection, maintenance supervision, vendor selection, tenant screening, reporting frequency, and escalation procedures.
State salary or hourly rate, bonus or commission structure, payroll schedule, expense reimbursement policy, and any benefits or perquisites.
Specify start date, fixed-term or at-will status, auto-renewal conditions, and notice periods required for nonrenewal or nonextension.
Define termination for cause vs. without cause, notice requirements, final pay timing, and post-termination obligations.
Include nondisclosure of tenant data, owner financials, vendor rates, and trade secrets; address return of records at separation.
Allocate responsibility for third-party claims, specify insurance requirements, and limit employee liability consistent with state labor law.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Signature Type | Electronic signature with audit trail |
| Authentication | Email link or SMS code; stronger KBA for high-risk documents |
| Templates | Save a standardized template with magic fields for repeated hires |
| Routing Order | Set signer order: employee first then owner or HR |
| Notifications | Enable completion emails and reminders at set intervals |
Use a platform that supports secure eSignatures, audit trails, and the file formats you rely on; ensure integration with HR or document management systems.
Start date when duties and pay terms take effect.
Provide a signed copy to the employee immediately after execution.
W-2 to employee by Jan 31 each calendar year.
Retain I-9 forms for 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later (8 CFR §274a.2).
Give notice per agreement (commonly 30–90 days) before term expiry.
Employee signs offer and employment agreement; onboarding triggers.
Complete I-9 and payroll setup within first three business days.
Transfer property records, keys, and vendor contacts to the manager.
Collect final deliverables and preserve records per retention policy.
Individual hired to perform property management duties and authorized to accept the agreement; signs as the employee and may be required to certify duties and conflict-of-interest disclosures.
Owner, company officer, or delegated manager who has authority to bind the employer; signs the agreement and confirms compensation and liability allocations.
| Criteria | Property Manager Employment Agreement | Independent Contractor Agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Employment status | employee | contractor |
| Taxes withheld | ||
| Benefits eligibility | often yes | typically no |
| Control over work | employer-directed | contractor controls method |
| signNow | DocuSign | Adobe Sign | PandaDoc | HelloSign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $8/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $14/user/mo | $19/user/mo | $15/user/mo |
| Free Trial | 7-day free trial | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Bulk Send | Yes (Business Premium) | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Envelope Cap | No cap | 100 envelopes/user/year | Varies | Varies | Varies |
Tim Martin used digital templates to process multiple manager hires across a portfolio quickly
Brian Fitzgibbons standardized manager agreements across multiple subsidiaries