Property Management Blog

In all our years of business, we’ve met and signed many tenants, and despite them coming from all walks of life we still end up with them having the same assumptions, expectations and misinformation. And although we have perfectly logical explanations for all their expectations and questions, we still wish they know better.

Here’s a list of the 10 things we wish all tenants know and understand.

1. Your rent is always due on the same day every month. Just because I own a rental property doesn’t mean I’m loaded with cash. I need your rent when it’s due every single month to pay utilities, mortgage, lawn company and a whole lot more. So make sure you pay your rent.
2. I’m a nice guy but I will evict you if I have to. I’m not here to make your life miserable. If not for our landlord/tenant relationship, we might be buddies. I’m a nice guy but as with any nice guy, I have my limitations. Bad things can happen and if you fail to communicate with me then I might end up doing the thing I hate doing most.
3. Trust me, you need renter’s insurance. MY insurance protects ME and MY stuff, not you and your stuff. So in the event of a fire, flood or break in, you want to make sure you’re protected. Go get your renter’s insurance. It’s not expensive and you’ll thank me for urging you to get it.
4. You can have your security deposit back. There are plenty of ways for me to make money and keeping your security deposit is not on my list. I just want to make sure you’ll take care of my property and keep it in the same condition as when you moved in.
5. I can and I will fix things but you have to tell me. You’re living in my property and I’m not allowed by law to check the place unannounced, so how am I supposed to know the problem if you won’t tell me? Please, don’t wait for the small leak to flood the whole house before telling me. The earlier you tell me the problem, the faster I can get it fixed and the damage will be less. Don’t be afraid to tell me because at the end of the day I will still end up knowing and I will still have to fix it.
6. Spare me the sob stories. I’ve met a lot of people before - tenants, landlords and everything in between. No matter what your dad story is, I still need you to pay the rent as we’ve agreed. We both have bills to pay and some of my bills are for the space you’re occupying so please pay your rent.
7. What you see is what you get. Sorry, but this is not HGTV and I’m not here to makeover your place. Unless we agreed and signed a contract which enumerates all the upgrades you’re requesting, you won’t see a new countertop or refurbished fireplace anytime soon. If you want all those upgrades, I’ll have to increase your rent.
8. Not all problems are easy to fix. I’m your landlord, not a genie. Some problems can’t be fixed pronto even if I wanted to. Rest assured I will explain everything to you but I will still need you to be patient.
9. Your pest problem is also my problem but it doesn’t mean I started it. Look, I will help you with your pest problem, but don’t blame it on me. Your space is free of rats and bugs when you move in. If your sink is full of dirty dishes and you haven’t emptied your trash in weeks, where do you think the pest started? Clean your space and keep it clean. I will help you with your bug and rodent problem but make sure you’re also doing your part to keep them from coming back.
10. I treat all tenants equally. Look, you and all the other tenants went through the same application, screening and interview process. You all signed contracts and I expect you all to pay the rent when it’s due. If I’m calling your attention more often than the other tenants then it means that I have to. If you’re not paying your rent on time or disturbing the other tenants with your loud music then I will be on your case. I will do the same to the other tenants if faced with the same problems.