When the Leasing Office Becomes a Front Line: The Hidden Dangers in Property Management

Property management isn’t just about leases and maintenance — for many workers, it’s become a job that puts them face‑to‑face with real danger.

Across the U.S., leasing agents and on‑site staff are increasingly being asked to play a role they never trained for: informal crisis responders. From mental health struggles to eviction disputes and neighborhood crime, everyday issues have spilled into apartment communities and onto the desks and hallways where leasing professionals work.

One tragic story highlights just how serious this shift has become. In Tucson, Arizona, an otherwise routine eviction turned deadly. A tenant opened fire during the process, killing a county constable and a young property manager before taking his own life. This wasn’t an isolated incident — similar confrontations have led to shootings and deaths of property staff in cities like Las Vegas, Chicago, Houston, and Anaheim.

These dangers stem from complex social trends: underfunded mental health systems, tightened tenant protections, and reduced social‑service responses have all pushed difficult situations into spaces they weren’t designed for — including apartment communities. What was once a place for renting and managing homes has quietly become a front line without clear safety standards or training for staff.

Leasing offices and management teams are often staffed by people who are great at customer service — not crisis negotiation. Yet, they are increasingly dealing with verbal threats, violent behavior, and life‑threatening conflict. Federal workplace‑safety laws offer limited guidance for the multifamily housing setting, leaving many teams without the tools or protocols needed to stay safe.

At Starboard Real Estate, we believe it’s time to acknowledge these risks and advocate for meaningful change — better protections, stronger safety protocols, and systems that don’t leave property staff to absorb societal pressures alone.