A property manager works for an owner who doesn't live in the property. Their job is finding tenants, collecting rent, handling turnover, and enforcing lease terms. The relationship exists because there's a tenant in the middle.
A home manager works for the person living in the house. There's no tenant and no lease. The job is proactive maintenance, vendor coordination, and being the one call a homeowner makes when something needs attention, whether that's a seasonal HVAC check or a burst pipe.
| Property Management | Home Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Client | Landlord who doesn't live there | Homeowner who lives there |
| Core job | Tenants, rent, leases | Maintenance, vendors, upkeep |
| Relationship | Owner, manager, tenant | Homeowner, manager |
| Typical reason to hire | You own a rental | You own your home and don't have time to manage its upkeep |
Search "property management near me" while looking for help with your own home, and you'll get companies built around rent collection and lease enforcement. That's the wrong tool for the job. If what you want is someone tracking your HVAC service schedule, vetting contractors, and picking up the phone when something breaks at your own house, that's home management, not property management.
MHM provides private home management for homeowners in Ladue, Clayton, Frontenac, and the surrounding St. Louis area. Membership includes proactive maintenance planning, vendor coordination, and one point of contact for your home.