Should I get the contract translated to my language before signing?

Yes. If the manager only offers an Albanian contract, ask for a certified translation. If they refuse, walk away. A reputable Albanian manager dealing with foreign owners will have bilingual contracts on file.

How long should the initial contract be?

Three to twelve months. Avoid two-year locks. The right manager doesn't need to lock you in; their work keeps you.

Should I visit the manager's office?

If you can. Walking into the office tells you in 90 seconds whether you're hiring a real operation or a one-person side hustle. Both can work, but you should know which you're getting.

Can I see references from existing owners?

Ask. Most managers will share two or three. Email or call those owners directly — five minutes of conversation is worth ten manager-led pitches.

20 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Property Manager in Albania

Hiring an Albanian property manager from another country is mostly an exercise in pattern-matching: the right operators sound similar across an hour of conversation, and the wrong ones reveal themselves in the questions they dodge. Here are the 20 questions we'd ask if we were on the owner's side of the table.

Fees and pricing

What's your management fee, and is it calculated on gross or net? Net is preferable. If net, ask exactly what's subtracted to arrive at net (see our gross-vs-net guide).
Are there any setup fees or onboarding fees? The honest answer is "no". Setup fees signal the manager wants to be paid before they've earned anything.
Do you mark up cleaning? Honest answer: no. If they admit a 10–15% markup, factor it into your effective fee.
Do you mark up repairs and maintenance? Same — should be no markup on labour or materials.
Is there a monthly minimum fee? If yes, your apartment pays in slow months even when you don't earn. Avoid where possible.

Operations

What platforms do you list on? Airbnb + Booking.com at minimum. If they only list on Airbnb, you're giving up roughly a third of available demand.
Do you use dynamic pricing software? Look for PriceLabs, Wheelhouse, or Beyond. "We set the price ourselves based on experience" usually means flat-rate pricing that underperforms by 20–30%.
What's your average guest response time? Under 30 minutes during operating hours is the standard. Over 2 hours hurts conversion.
What languages do you operate in? For Albanian coastal properties, you want at minimum English, Albanian, Italian. German and Russian are bonuses. Hebrew matters for some segments.
How do you handle turnover cleaning? Look for "we have a dedicated team of cleaners, supervised, with photo proof of every clean". Avoid "we contract individual cleaners as available" — that's where quality drift starts.

Damage and risk

What's your damage procedure? Look for a written protocol: photos at check-in, photos at check-out, immediate documentation of damage, platform claim filed within 14 days, owner notified within 24 hours.
Do you take a damage deposit, and how? Through the platform (preferred — Airbnb authorises a hold) or via a credit card pre-authorisation, never as cash at check-in.
What's your minimum stay policy? One-night stays from accounts with no history are the highest-damage segment. A 2-night minimum reduces party-damage risk significantly.
How do you handle late check-outs and early check-ins? Should be a defined policy, not made up per guest.

Reporting and visibility

What does the monthly statement look like? Ask for a sample. If it's two paragraphs and a number, that's not enough information for you to know what's happening with your apartment. Our sample monthly report is a public benchmark.
Can I see the underlying invoices? Yes should be the answer for anything over €50.
How often will my apartment be physically inspected? Quarterly minimum, more frequent in peak season.
Can I see live calendar and pricing in real time? Some managers give owners read-only dashboard access. Useful for the curious; required for the cautious.

Contract terms

What's the notice period? Look for 14–30 days, either side, no cancellation fee. Avoid 90-day notice or longer.
What happens to my bookings if I leave? Future bookings should transfer to you with the apartment. Some managers try to keep the listing (especially if it's under their account) — protect against this by listing in your own name with the manager as co-host, not by giving the manager primary control.

What the answers tell you

A good operator answers all 20 of these in 30 minutes, in plain language, without dodging. They have a written FAQ document or a service brief that covers most of them already. Their tone is "yes that's a reasonable question, here's the answer".

A weak operator gets defensive, vague, or shifts the topic. Watch for these phrases: "we take care of everything, don't worry about the details", "everyone in Albania charges 20% so don't worry about that", "let's just sign and we'll figure it out as we go". Each is a flag.

What to send the prospective manager

Before any of the questions, send them three things:

Address of the apartment
5–8 photos taken with your phone
Your best guess at what the apartment "should" earn per year

A good operator will reply with a realistic income projection based on local comparables, identify any concerns about the apartment (building quality, location-specific issues), and answer your top 3 questions in writing — all within 24–48 hours. If they take longer than that to come back, take note. Response time during the sales conversation is a strong predictor of response time during the operating relationship.