One of our picks for the top property management firms in Ottawa is Agos Inc., a family-owned and operated company founded by James Agostinho and Athena Papadas. 

We like this aspect because it means they’re hands-on with the business, which in turn provides a dedicated service to each client.

We must note, however, that Agos Inc. is still a rookie in the industry, being founded only in 2023. 

But we don’t consider this a downside because the owners have decades of personal experience in Ottawa’s landlord business! In fact, our surveys showed that many people commended their deep knowledge of the local market.

In addition, we appreciate the unique skills Agos Inc. provides to the community. The owners also have experience in architecture, industrial design, and real estate investment, which definitely comes in handy with property management.

Service-wise, we like the variety of their offerings, which translates to a smooth process for the property owner. Notably, they offer tenant screening, maintenance, and annual reporting!

Moreover, we admire their quick response time regarding common maintenance problems. Their skilled technicians can come by and do repairs in single and multifamily properties, whether that’s a home appliance malfunction or electrical issues.

We also admire Argos Inc. because they are transparent regarding their fees. Although the costs will depend on factors like property size and age, one to three units will have a 6% to 7% management fee plus HST, which we think is within the reasonable range.

Overall, we love Argos Inc.’s reasonable fees and variety of services. A minor downside we found is their availability. Unfortunately, their office is only open on weekdays, which means they may not respond on weekends.

Fahel & Co has been a property management firm in Ottawa since 2016. While that’s not exactly a decade in the industry, we still appreciate their acquired experience.

Furthermore, we believe being featured by several publications is a testament to their positive standing. For instance, Faces Magazine and Realtor Magazine have interviewed them because of their expertise in property management.

But what we like most about Fahel & Co is that their management fees include full services, showing value for money. They offer rent collection, accounting services, tax preparation, and legal help.

Additionally, we really appreciate that they have an in-house general maintenance team. Because of this, we believe the service will be more thorough and consistent due to having the same training.

On top of that, we love that their maintenance team is available 24/7. We found that an advantage for both property owners and renters.

Another service we like is they require renters to have tenant insurance. Should the tenant not have one, Fahel & Co has a trusted provider they can suggest, ensuring a layer of protection in case of damage or loss of property.

While everything sounds great so far, we must note that we found a little issue–their availability. Unfortunately, their office is open only five days a week and they close a tad earlier than the other property management companies in the area.

One of our favourite companies in Ottawa is Linkus Property Management because of their accessibility. It makes them easy to reach, whether you’re a renter or property manager.

Their office is open seven days a week, making them available on weekends for busy clients. Plus, they’re open for in-person and phone meetings, giving clients a more flexible schedule when consulting.

An impressive factor we noted is their 100% client retention rate, which also shows their expertise. One reason we found is that their team provides strategic solutions to maximize cash flow, which is good news for property owners.

Additionally, we appreciate their transparency regarding costs. Honesty is important for a property manager, and it earns Linkus Property Management points from us.

Furthermore, we like the fact that there are no hidden fees. While the management fees will depend on factors like property size and condition, we were glad to find their competitive quotes and all-inclusive packages.

Plus, we believe they offer good value for money because of the many services they provide, such as rent invoicing, expense payment, lease documentation, and maintenance. Conveniently, they also provide clients with vendor discounts.

But for a company with good standing, we hoped they could improve communication, as we received some complaints about slow email responses. Thankfully, these seem to be isolated cases.

With over 20 years of experience under their belt, DORE Property Management sure makes it as one of the best firms in Ottawa. In our opinion, staying in a competitive industry for this long is a testament to their knowledge and expertise.

From our research, we found that they’ve successfully rented over 4,000 properties in Ottawa. We believe this aspect speaks about their familiarity with the local market. 

Furthermore, we noted that they’ve also collected over 20 million in rent, which we found incredible—good news for landlords.

We also like the convenience they provide for property owners because there are no upfront fees, and the owners will receive the rent first before paying a fee!

Their services are also pretty thorough, from what we’ve seen, making the whole process of renting a property seamless. They take care of tenant placement, rental application drafting, maintenance, and rental application review and drafting.

We also find it great that their maintenance team is available day or night. No matter what time it is, they can offer support to renters who are having problems with the property.

Here’s a little drawback, though: we found some complaints regarding slow response about fixing property damages. Unfortunately, we believe this limits their accessibility as some renters waited a little while before getting a response.

But looking on the bright side, DORE Property Management is open for inquiries any day of the week. If you’re a busy client, you can contact them on your days off.

Royal York Property Management is one of our top picks because of their good standing in the community, even earning them a Consumer Choice Award in Business Excellence. 

They also serve 40 locations in Canada, and Ottawa is just one of them—a testament to their reliability.

Furthermore, we commend them for being super easy to reach because of their 24/7 availability, 365 days a year. Plus, we like that in-person appointments are available from Sunday to Friday.

But it was disappointing to find some issues about miscommunication and slow responses in our surveys. We heard they were somewhat hard to reach on the phone, which is inconvenient.

As a pretty big company, their services are thorough, making it easy for tenants and renters. We like that they offer legal services, property evaluations, online financial reporting, and 24/7 maintenance services.

In addition, we think it’s impressive that most of their properties will have tenants in seven to ten business days due to their impeccable advertising. This ensures property owners that they can get their money’s worth.

As for the rates, we think Royal York Property Management’s monthly fees are competitive, given their wide reach. A condo unit is only $39 for a silver package or $129 for gold, with the latter having more inclusive services.

However, what we found pricey is their rigorous tenant screening, costing $995. While it does provide peace of mind, we think it’s still a bit steep, especially for clients who don’t have a lot of properties to rent out.

On a good note, we think properties will look appealing to renters because they offer an NDR (No Deposit Required) option. Once the renter is approved, they can opt for the NDR so there’s no need to shell out more money—pretty good, eh?