The question I get more than any other after someone sees the Ohio numbers for the first time: "But how do I actually manage a property from Canada?" It's a fair question. The idea of owning a house 700 kilometres away, in a different country, with tenants you've never met, can feel risky.
The answer is property management. And in Ohio, it works well.
What a property manager actually does
A good property manager is your eyes, ears, and hands on the ground. Their job covers every aspect of tenancy so that you — sitting in Toronto or Vancouver — never have to deal with a 2am call about a broken furnace.
Tenant screening. Background checks, credit checks, employment verification, rental history. A good PM has seen enough bad tenants to know the red flags that aren't obvious on paper.
Lease signing and onboarding. They handle the paperwork, walk-through inspection, key handover, and all the administrative setup at the start of a tenancy.
Rent collection. Monthly rent is collected, their fee is deducted, and the remainder is deposited directly to your U.S. bank account. You get a monthly statement by email.
Maintenance coordination. When something breaks, the tenant calls the PM, not you. The PM dispatches a contractor, gets the work done, and deducts the cost from your next disbursement with an invoice attached.
Lease renewals and rent increases. When a lease expires, the PM handles renewal negotiations and advises on market-rate rent increases.
Evictions. If a tenant stops paying or violates the lease, the PM initiates the legal process. In Ohio this is straightforward — typically 3–5 weeks from first notice to court order.
What it costs
Property management in Ohio typically costs 8–10% of monthly gross rent. On a duplex generating $1,700/month, that's $136–$170/month. Some managers also charge a leasing fee (usually one month's rent) when they place a new tenant — this covers the advertising, screening, and setup work.
This is already factored into the cash flow numbers we present. When we say a property generates $520/month net, the property management fee is already deducted. You're looking at real take-home numbers.
How to choose a property manager in Ohio
Not all property managers are equal. A bad one will cost you far more than their fee in missed rent, deferred maintenance, and poor tenant selection. Here's what we look for when vetting PMs for our clients.
Local specialization. A PM who works exclusively in Akron knows the neighbourhoods, knows the local contractors, and knows what rents in your specific zip code. Avoid large national companies that manage thousands of units across multiple states — your property becomes a number.
Response time. Call them before you hire them. If it takes 3 days to return a call when they're trying to win your business, it'll be worse once you're a client.
Tenant screening standards. Ask them specifically what they look for. A minimum income of 3x rent, no prior evictions, and a credit check should be non-negotiable baselines.
Maintenance markup. Some PMs mark up contractor invoices by 10–20%. Ask upfront if they charge a maintenance coordination fee. The best ones pass through contractor costs at cost.
Owner portal. You should be able to log in and see your statements, maintenance history, and upcoming expenses anytime. If they're still emailing PDFs with no portal, that's a red flag.
Opening a U.S. bank account
Your PM will deposit rent into a U.S. bank account. You'll need one. The easiest option for Canadians is to open a U.S. dollar account with a Canadian bank that has U.S. operations — TD Bank, RBC Bank USA, and BMO Harris all offer this. You can often apply from Canada with your Canadian ID and SIN. When you want to move money back to Canada, you transfer it and convert at the prevailing rate.
The bottom line on remote management
Most of our Canadian investors spend less than 2 hours per month on their Ohio properties. They review their monthly statement, occasionally respond to an email if something unusual comes up, and that's it. The investment is genuinely passive once the right property manager is in place. We help you find and vet that manager as part of the acquisition process — it's not something you're left to figure out alone.
Want to know which property managers we recommend in Akron? Ask us on a call.
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