Getting to the cause will always produce cure.

To understand the real issues in property management, you have to start with one immutable assumption: property management is all about creating, maintaining and enlarging value for the property owner.

Whether it's in multi-family property--which is our specialty--or in office or retail, the surest way to bolster value is to maintain and increase the rent roll. To do that, a property manager must cure whatever ails the building. But to do that--and this is where many property managers fail--you first must diagnose.

Think of property managers as building doctors. As with medical doctors, it would be bad practice to treat without diagnosing.

The heavy-lifting diagnosis must be done whenever a property management assignment begins--either when an owner retains you for the first time to manage a building, or when a long-standing owner-client purchases a new property. But diagnosis should also be performed periodically on ongoing assignments, to trouble-shoot new and little problems before they become big and expensive.

Here is a look at how we diagnose buildings that are under our care, whether it's for one of our client-owners or for part of our own portfolio, which we not only own but also manage.

* Follow the paper trail. Read the leases. Know who occupies the building, who should be occupying it, and who may be improperly occupying it. (More on leases and subtenants later.) Discover what mechanical and physical issues have arisen in the past; they're likely to recur over time. Assess the violations that the "alphabet soup" of city agencies--FDNY, DHCR, HPD--has undoubtedly written, and read the contractors' repair reports. Now a good property manager has taken the first step toward managing the property--and all the issues that it will throw off.

* Know the tenants. Find out who is entitled to occupy each unit, and match that information with who actually occupies each unit. Know-your-customer is crucial for a variety of reasons--including security, which is something we'll touch on momentarily.

Ferreting out illegal sub-tenancies is something that immediately and directly add to the rent roll, particularly in markets such as New York City, which are perpetually tight. Say you are charging a tenant $1,200 for an apartment and she is subletting it, contrary to the terms of her lease, for $1,600--a not unheard-of scenario.

The $400 difference is a gain that the property owner should enjoy to compensate him for the risk he takes and the investment he makes. Here, you might have a chance to vacate the apartment and re-rent it at the new, higher market rate.

This is especially true in an up-market, which in New York City seems to be generally the prevailing condition. If you know your tenants extremely well --and are aware of a low-rent tenant who might consider moving in exchange for a buyout--you might be able to vacate the unit and re-rent it at a higher rate.

* Know the physical condition of each apartment. Here again, you're trying to ferret out illegal alterations, such as dishwashers and washing machines that the property owner doesn't allow. The same goes for pets. There are perfectly valid lifestyle and infrastructure reasons to proscribe many alterations, and tenants should not be allowed to ignore these perfectly reasonable regulations. Such alterations or additions can be dangerous, destructive, or a nuisance to others, and a property manager cannot address such issues unless he is aware of them.

* There is no such thing as too much security. This is one item that benefits everybody--owner and tenant alike. It was ever thus, but it is even more of an issue in the complicated, post-Sept. 11 world in which we live. There is no doubt that tenants place a high value on security and will pay a premium to live in a building that they perceive as secure.

The key is to institute security measures that appear to work, actually work, and keep inconvenience to a minimum.

Start by knowing who is coming and going, and don't be shy about questioning strangers. Check the backgrounds of all incoming tenants and (legal) subtenants.

Do periodic security checks. Run the occasional fire drill. Give tenants tips on how to secure their units. Again, this is one issue in which landlords and tenants will generally be on the same page, so err on the side of being overly cautious.

* Keep public areas well-maintained and immaculate. To a tenant, coming home means a retreat from the stresses of the day. Before they reach their unit, they must enter the lobby and either walk the stairs or ride the elevator. Take pains to ensure that all common areas are not only clean and in good repair, but also cheerful and soothing, if possible. This is an intangible for which most tenants would gladly pay a premium--and at little cost to the owner. This is always a good way to protect and enlarge the rent roll.

* Be timely when it comes to paperwork. Pay close attention to deadlines for lease renewals, inspections and paperwork that must be submitted to various agencies. It seems like a little thing, but it will help avoid disputes with tenants as well as the city agencies that can make your life alternately bearable or miserable. Ultimately, it will keep expenses down, and that results in a higher return on your client's investment.

We have taken some strong positions here, positions that ultimately work to the benefit of our clients, their properties, and our own multi-family buildings.

It's important to note that we do not advocate establishing an adversarial position with the tenants who rent from us or our clients.

Our goal--and the goal of every good property manager--is to be the dream manager for the good tenants, and the bad tenants' worst nightmare. There is too much on the line for property owners to stand for "property management lite."

A strong hand at the helm--starting with probing diagnosis, continuing with ongoing assessment, and resulting in good diagnostic and curative management--benefits the tenants and ultimately boosts the rent rolls, resulting in satisfied clients.

Ioannis 'John' Danalis and Erez Eliahu, Blue Star Property Management