It might be something you strive for. It might be something you’ve never thought about before…what kind of tenant are you? You might think it doesn’t matter, but how you conduct yourself with your landlord can have long term effects. So, before you bash your landlord on social media, give a thought to what it takes to create a good relationship with your landlord and what it can get you down the road.
Signs You Are A Bad Tenant
Poor communication. Communication is key. Your communication, the promptness and tone, make a big impression from the get-go. Being rude on the phone, demanding, or yelling are communication dont’s. You might be a bad tenant if you find yourself raising your voice, using a sarcastic tone, or interrupting the person you are speaking with.
Lack of communication. The best method of communication will be different, depending on your property manager or landlord. Know if it is best to call, text, or email for fastest response. If you call and aren’t able to speak directly with someone, leave a voicemail. Businesses get hundreds of calls a day. If you don’t leave a voicemail, the chances of followup go way down, just due to call volume. If it matters to you, take the time to leave a voicemail. If email is the method of choice, then make sure to be clear in your request and prompt with your follow-up to the resolution of the matter at hand.
Late payment. Paying your rent on time may be the most important part of what it takes to be a good tenant. The promptness of your payment is important because when you pay late, you jeopardize the owner’s ability to pay the mortgage and bills on time. Fees are added to your payment to encourage you to pay on time. These late fees are an additional expense that add up quickly and compound your stress. You can make the lives of many people easier–especially yours–by paying your rent on time.
Failure to report a problem. If there is a problem, you need to let your landlord know. There might even be some things that are so important to report that it might end up costing YOU if you don’t report it. Or maybe there is a little something that you need to be addressed so that your life can be smoother and easier; and you’d like it done now. Either way, you have to inform your property manager. If your landlord is unaware of an issue, how can they fix it? Your property manager can only fix issues that they know about.
Being a problem. A good way to get on your landlord’s bad side is to be a nuisance to your neighbors. Loud talk or music in the late night/early morning, smoking in no-smoking areas, overflowing messes or over filling the trash bins are things that commonly irritate neighbors and lead them to complain about you. If this becomes a chronic problem, your landlord is likely to remember you as a bad tenant.
Why should this matter to you?
Establishing a good relationship with your landlord or property manager can really help you out down the road. For starters, open and respectful communication makes dealing with headaches and hiccups–the unforeseen problems like the dryer going kaput or the dishwasher leaking on the kitchen floor–easier, less stressful. When you conduct yourself well and treat people with respect and courtesy, you get the same in return. You also end up getting “good reviews” with the homeowner, or even lead to perks to keep you because you are such a good tenant.
When you do choose to leave and look to rent elsewhere, you will have to establish a relationship with a new landlord or property manager. This process often starts with an application, and often includes a landlord verification for approval and lease offer. The property management company or landlord you are seeking to rent from is going to contact your former landlord(s). Though these verifications are very brief and to the point, there is a professional courtesy between businesses in which the businesses look out for each other and will tell if a tenant was hard to deal with. If you’ve had difficult relations with your landlord, it could be this step that ends up costing you extra time and money and losing out on the home of your dreams. At the end of the day, businesses are people, and if you don’t treat people with respect, it often end up costing you.
How to be a good tenant
Being a good tenant is actually pretty easy:
- Pay your rent on time
- Be polite and clear in your communication
- Leave a voicemail and/or respond to your email
Respect and courtesy go a long way in relationships. When you are respectful of your landlord and your property, you are easy to deal with. When you are polite, you are pleasant to deal with. When you are easy and pleasant to others, you will be delighted in how easy and pleasant they will be to you.
We love good tenants! Would you like to be appreciated by a good property management company? Let’s make it happen! Check here for our available rentals: www.prestigepm.com/properties
