Property management can also be sort of a bitch... We got lucky, we just moved into a relatively new house, but our landlords live out of state. They don't have a property management company either, so it's just them. They desperately wanted to sell, but couldn't so they had to lease it. They charge us a deductible for any maintenance because they would much prefer us take care of it ourselves (the boy is very handy) rather than them have to hire someone out of state. I doubt they'll be stopping by any time soon. Also, you might want to make sure your lease has a buyout clause for the end of your lease when they start showing the house. For a measly $500 we can guarantee no one will be stopping by our home until we have vacated the premises.
Good luck!