Renting out properties you don't own

Hi there,

An opportunity just landed on my desk to manage two beachfront vacation rentals owned by Russ. The deal is structured so I get a 9% cut, while they take the remaining 91%.

Can anyone point me in the right direction regarding the type of contract I should be signing with them? Am I allowed to draft the agreement myself—making sure all the rights and responsibilities are crystal clear—and then just take it to a local notary to have it notarized?

Or is there a more professional way to handle this?

I’d really appreciate some help here! Thanks.

As an individual, you can't rent an apartment even from your own mother unless you're part of the same household. You can hold whatever power of attorney you want, but that document doesn't override what the law dictates.

The only workaround is setting up an LLC, but trying to make that profitable with just two rental units is a stretch.

Who’s actually going to step up and handle the cleanup once everything falls apart after guests head out? I mean, seriously—are you truly prepared to fix a broken bed frame, deal with a busted chandelier, or scramble to patch up and repaint wall sections where some guest spilled lunch all over the place? Especially when they check out at 10 AM and the next group is already pulling into the driveway by 2 PM? It's a total nightmare.

Alright, thanks. Since I'm staying right near the apartment, I really should go check out some other reviews to see what people are actually saying.

Oh, for sure—let the owner handle pulling all those permits through the city, while you just play the role of the helpful guy who keeps everything moving along behind the scenes.