Property manager vs. landlord

Two roles people use interchangeably — but for your opening, they’re different.

• The landlord owns the building and is your counterparty on the lease. They set the big terms, but you rarely deal with them day to day once the lease is signed.
• The property manager (PM) runs the building day to day: the rules, the approvals, building access, the freight elevator, after-hours work, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), security. This is who you’ll work with most during the move.

Why you care

Almost every operational question during your opening — Can my mover get in Saturday? What certificate of insurance (COI) do you need? How do I book the freight elevator? — goes to the property manager, not the landlord. Knowing that saves you days of asking the wrong person.

A few things still route to the landlord (or the lease): major build-out approvals, restoration obligations, and anything that changes the space permanently. When in doubt, ask the PM — they’ll tell you what needs landlord sign-off.

See it in action: Property Manager & Building Rules.