What a Property Manager Should Ask a Guard Vendor Before Renewing
October 20, 2026· Brian Fitzgibbons
Contract renewal is the one point in the year when a property manager holds full leverage over a guard vendor. Most renewals are decided by price alone. The five questions below cost nothing to ask and expose the difference between a vendor that manages its posts and one that merely fills them.
1. What is your guard turnover on this account?
A post with a new face every month costs more than a post with a slightly higher rate and the same officer for two years. Ask for the actual turnover figure for your account, not a company-wide average, and ask who is accountable for retention on your site.
2. Who audits the post, and how often?
Field supervision is where contract security quietly succeeds or fails. Ask how frequently a supervisor visits unannounced, what the supervisor documents, and whether you receive those reports directly. A vendor that cannot produce a sample post audit report is telling you there is no audit.
3. What happens at 2 a.m. when an officer calls out?
The answer should include a name, a phone number and a committed response time. Some vendors have a relief pool; some have a supervisor who fills the post; some have neither and will discover the vacancy when you do.
4. Can you document training for this specific site?
Generic guard card training satisfies the state. It does not prepare an officer for your fire panel, your after-hours access list or your delivery windows. Ask for the site-specific training record for the officers currently assigned.
5. What incident reports did you issue this year?
A vendor that managed your account well produced incident reports, near-miss notes and recommendations during the term. A vendor whose file is empty at renewal was absent from the property in every way that matters. Ask to see the file before you negotiate the rate.
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