tenant Archives - Page 2 of 2

Making Your Landlord Adore You Sneakily

You either love or hate your landlord, but you should really take the time and give some thought into making sure that they at least like you. Realtor did an article collaboration with Fox News in order to provide tenants some quick tips in how to be sneaky in making sure that your landlord falls in love with you— no, not the romantic kind of love, but something much better.

As mentioned in the article, what you’re basically doing is “sucking up” to your landlord, but hey, we’ll just call it as building an amazing rapport with the person that takes a good chunk out of your paychecks in exchange for a roof over your head. Why do you have to exert effort, though?

Because a happy landlord = happy tenant. Similar to the “happy life, happy wife” philosophy, but less stressful. You just have to do the things that you’re expected to do — you know, the things that people don’t really do anymore because there’s some sort of social stigma against nice people nowadays.

Landlord vs. Tenant: Most common causes of dispute

Living the rest of your life as a tenant can either be better than being a homeowner or worse than sleeping on the streets. You can’t always have an awesome landlord every single time you sign a lease. Nope. Life doesn’t work that way because life isn’t fair, especially during move-in and move-out; then all of a sudden, the inspection brings up tons of things you don’t remember doing to the place. Yikes.

So what usually makes claws appear when it comes to landlords and tenants? Let’s go ahead and take a look at the usual suspects that turn both parties into monsters.

Code Violations: A Landlord’s Headache

This could range from noise complaints to parking fiascos, and even occupancy limits. A landlord doesn’t have anything to do with this, but he can find himself facing problems if someone from a neighboring home or establishment files a complaint against one of the occupants of his property. Alternatively, a tenant can invite officials over if they’re really into messing with their landlords.

A landlord’s time will be wasted, and money will go down the drain to pay for fines. The only option that they have is to kick out the tenant in order to avoid further issues. If you’re a landlord, make sure your welcome packet (here’s a quick guide on creating an awesome one) includes a copy of the laws in your area/neighborhood and your lease includes a provision regarding liquidated damages so that you can get the proper compensation should issues like this arise.

Property Damages: He said, she said

Ah, the usual cause of clashes between landlord and tenants! A landlord doesn’t really see the kind of damage that a tenant has caused until the inspection after move-out day. They have no control over it if they didn’t properly document what the property looked like prior to move-in day. Have you ever heard of the statement, “That was already like that when I got here!”? It’s quite common and, as a landlord, you probably have ZERO recollection if what they’re saying is true unless you got dated photos, signed at the back by you and the lessor.

This is one of the reasons why MoveIn.Space should be your go-to website if you’re in the rental business. Since everything that’s digital gets to exist forever, having an online record of what the place was like upon move-in will be helpful for your business. It’s completely legal to use and it’s for the protection of both landlord and tenant. Should any disputes arise, you can easily use your account on the website as a reference to settle the issue. Less headache for both you and your tenant!

Skipping on Payments

Checks may bounce, salaries will get delayed, and the queen might come to visit. So many excuses, so little time! A tenant’s most obvious responsibility is paying for the rent and any other additional expenses, such as repair fees or penalties. If you’re a landlord who has third-party providers for utilities and maintenance, this can bite your behind hard. Real hard. Especially if you don’t specify on the lease that your tenant should be responsible for any fees that they incur during their stay. So it’s best that you leave no stone unturned, especially with money matters! List what they’re responsible for paying, such as appliance repair, lightbulb replacements, etc. Then list what YOU should be paying for as a landlord, like pool and garden maintenance or repair of communal areas in the property.

Would you really want to pay for something that your tenant damaged inside their rented space?

Clash of Plans

Sometimes, the reason why landlords and tenants don’t get along well is because their personalities, wants, and needs do not match. It’s that simple. You wouldn’t know a person properly until you’ve spent enough time with them, and that doesn’t really happen with rental properties. Tenants may stage a coup if a landlord suddenly decides they’d like to add more doors to the property or maybe fill in the tenants’ pool. On the other hand, landlords may suddenly turn bitter if a tenant decides to ask their significant other to move into their place. You never can tell when a person’s real personality will show, and it’s not something that you can put on the lease. If you’re a landlord, if you can’t get along well with your tenant, just let them be and don’t treat them negatively lest you want them to trash the place upon move out. As for the tenants out there, just pray hard that your lease goes by quickly and then just move out. It ain’t a perfect world, but you can sure as hell avoid lawsuits if you try your best to keep calm.

Do you have any landlord vs. tenant stories that you’d like to share? How petty was the feud and how complicated did it become in the end? We’d love to read your stories in the comments!

How To Deal With A Difficult Landlord

The relationship between a landlord and tenant can be difficult and is fraught with potential problems. Both parties may infer actions by the other to be an affront.

Here are tips on how to deal with a difficult landlord. They include:

keep records
good communication
request changes in writing
be a good tenant
talk with other tenants

Good communication is of the utmost importance, even though it is listed second. When a problem inevitably does occur, being able to discuss it and collaborate on a solution will save time, consternation, and even legal fees.

Good record-keeping will actually help good communication. Having access to agreed-upon records of the condition of the space being rented is a great way to contribute to a peaceful move in and move out of a rental. Both parties taking the time to communicate and agree on the state of affairs of the space lets both parties understand what type of damages the other is looking for. This creates a sense of ownership for the tenant, which is ultimately beneficial for both the landlord and the tenant.

Welcoming Your New Tenants: How To Be The Most Awesome Landlord

If you want to be a good landlord to your tenants, you have to make a great first impression—something that you won’t be able to get a second chance on. In a perfect world, each and every tenant you come across won’t expect much, will pass your inspections, and will follow all your rules to the dot from their move-in day to their move-out day. Alternatively, your tenants want to find a rockstar landlord that they can depend on. However, you could only do so much, so why not begin by giving them an amazing welcome to your property?

Provide your tenants with a move-in packet/tenant handbook once they sign their lease.

Some people call it a move-in packet, others call it a tenant handbook, but this is one of the most important things that you can provide as a landlord. It’s your job to educate your tenants of the rules and policies of the property.Make sure to include the following information in the handbook:

A welcome letter – It always helps to show some warmth and gratitude in a letter before you go down to business.
A copy of the lease – Enough said.
Property walkthrough – Document the conditions of the space before move-in day and encourage your tenant to do the same. Otherwise, your good relationship with the tenant may be ruined once they move out and claim that they did not cause any damage. Always inform all your potential tenants that the property walkthroughs are done for the benefit of both parties. Websites like MoveIn.Space focus on preventing this “he said, she said” sort of dispute and avoid bigger issues in the long run. In addition, having the tenant document the conditions of the space provides them a sense of ownership and responsibility for maintaining it.
Moving checklist – A subtle reminder of the places that they have to notify (example, the post office, DMV, banks, schools, etc.) and some last-minute reminders on what they need to accomplish upon move-in day.
Tenant communication – Include your contact number/s and other information that they may need if they have any issues or concerns with the property.
Renters’ insurance – Provide the contact number to an agent that can assist your tenant and include bits of information on the pricing and the coverage that they can get.
Paying rent and possible fees they might have to pay – Instructions on where they can send their checks/money, payment methods, when rent is due, and possible fees for late payments, lease violations, etc.
Rules and regulations of the property – Dos and Don’ts at the property.
Tenant responsibilities – What you expect them to do (example, pets, caring for the property, etc.)
A guide to the neighborhood – This is very helpful for your tenants who are new to the city.
Parking – One of the most common frustrations for tenants. If they need to have a parking pass or sticker, include that in the move-in packet. However, if they get to have an assigned parking space in your property, include information on who to contact if they find someone else’s car on their space, and other policies on parking procedures.
Maintenance – Some properties have their own in-house maintenance team, while others have specific vendors that they contact for repairs. Make sure to include their contacts numbers and who do they call in case of an emergency such as a gas leak or backed up plumbing.
Move-out notices – Provide your policy for 30-day notices and your tenants responsibilities until move-out day.
Maps of emergency exits – This can be included in the last part of the packet/handbook. It’s your job to educate your tenants to be aware of where to go during worst-case scenarios or where to find fire extinguishers, etc. in order to prevent bigger disasters.

The “Tenant Welcome Package”

Everybody loves free gifts, and as landlord, providing a “tenant welcome package” can put you on the “Most Awesome Landlords Ever” list. With moving furniture and other stuff, the last thing on your tenant’s mind is the small stuff. They’re new to the area, and of course, they probably don’t have enough supplies around just yet. Give them a simple house-warming gift that shows that you care for them and want them to enjoy their stay in your property. Some wonderful things to include in the package are:

A handwritten, personalized welcome note.
Coupons or gift cards to local shops – You can contact local businesses directly to get these. They’re usually on board with the idea because new faces could become paying regulars in the long run. This could be at the grocery, a coffee shop, or a restaurant. It’s a win-win situation for both the landlord and the local businesses!
Toilet paper – Leave a couple of rolls in the bathroom. This is one of those things that you don’t really think of as something that’s important until nature calls. You can also include a tiny bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap for that much-needed shower for your tenant’s very long move-in day.
Cleaning Kit – A cheap and easy way to subtly inform your clients that cleanliness is one of your priorities. Get a small plastic bucket and fill it with cleaning supplies such as sponges, paper towels, dishwashing soap, and bleach.

Remember, being a good landlord shouldn’t just rely on what you provide them during move-in day. You also have to build trust and rapport with each and every tenant on your property. There are horrifying stories on the Internet about tenants with terrible landlords, and one way of stopping yourself from becoming one is making a good first impression and always being around to lend a helping hand should they ask for it.