Being a landlord can be challenging and those challenges sometimes strain the landlord/tenant relationship. As landlords and property managers we try to do the right thing by the tenants by providing a maintained and clean home for rent and by promptly responding to requests. My dream tenants in turn would do the following to hold up there end of the deal.
Pay rent on time
In a real estate rental company this is obviously the number one priority. Tenants must pay there rent and should prioritize their rent above other obligations. The best way I have found to ensure that the rent payment is a top priorities is by using ACH automatic bank drafts. When rent is automatically withdrawn from a tenants account on a certain day of the month it makes it easy to become a priority
Be polite and respectful
Being polite and respectful of not only the landlord or property manager but also to the neighbors will make for a better living situation all around. If tenants just take a minute to put themselves in the other persons shoes they may think twice before leaving a vulgar phone message or throwing that party mid-week. The dream tenant would not be rude to someone sent over to make repairs. You would not believe how many people are just plain rude to the people we send over to try and fix their problems. Plus, how do you think we are going to react if we see that your place is a mess or that you are causing damage? Disrespecting our properties or our help is a sure way to create an adversarial relationship.
Pay attention
When told how to run the irrigation system, the fireplace, or other things particular to the property it would behoove the tenant to pay attention and even perhaps take notes. Landlords and property managers don’t want to have to repeat themselves or have to deal with broken items because they were not used according to instruction.
Be Honest
Honest communication is the best approach to any situation. So your kid flushed a hotwheel car down the toilet, it happens, and if the landlord or pm know the whole story it can get taken care of more directly. If the tenant has some personal issues come up the landlord or pm cannot work with them unless they know what is going on. We are people too and have likely been in situations ourselves where we needed a little help or understanding.
Be Patient
When it rains it pours and when tenant requests come in they have to be prioritized in order of urgency and that may mean that the funny noise that the fridge is making will have to wait. If the basement is flooding or the heat isn’t working on a 20 degree day then those situations require immediate attention. If your call wasn’t answered leave a message rather then calling repeatedly. When scheduling a time to get repairs completed it is important for both the landlord and the tenant to try and be accommodating to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Follow the terms of the lease
The lease was set up to protect the tenant and the landlord, it is a legal document and needs to be followed explicitly. The lease was explained and signed in agreement with the terms. If the lease says no smoking in the house or no pets I expect when I come to do an inspection that I don’t find a litter box in the laundry room or that when I open the door marijuana smoke comes billowing out.
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Dulcey is a member of Rentec Direct who provides Property Management Software, tenant ach payment processing, tenant credit check, and criminal reports for property managers and landlords. The information in this post is just that, informational and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice.
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