Just recently I was asked to be a speaker at the Charlotte County Landlord Association. Although my market manager for that area has been a member of the association for many years I had never attended one of these meetings.
I was surprised to find such a wide array of people attending the meeting. There were people from all walks of life. Most people were very pleasant, but there were a few people that were simply angry at the world and were obviously not very clear in their thinking. These people appear to have experienced every conceivable problem that any landlord could ever have had with a tenant, plus a few more.
As I began to speak and address some issues that I thought could be helpful to the group I was continually interrupted by these select few of unhappy people who felt the need to tell everyone and anyone about their unpleasant tenant experiences. I was very patient with them but found myself continually having to politely cut them off so I could address the rest of the group and move on with my talk.
Once the meeting was over a lady came up to me and said that she had been a landlord for over 30 years and had never experienced the types of problems as those described by the unhappy, angry landlords who kept interrupting my speech. I said that I hadn’t either, and I have been a landlord for over 10 years myself.
The bottom line is that your experience as a landlord is a reflection of your expectations. If you are expecting trouble and become a landlord with an attitude that tends to look for it, then most likely that is exactly what you will find. On the other hand, if you look at your rental properties as a business, approach your role as a landlord in a professional business manner, and treat your tenants as your customers (which in fact is who they are) then most likely you will maintain a healthy business relationship with them, and all will be just fine.
I suggest that anyone who is a landlord or is planning on becoming one visit the Landlord Association website at www.landlordassociation.org and read some of the information on their site. You may also want to consider joining the association so you can expand your knowledge base and learn how to manage your rental properties as a business, rather than the setting for an emotional battle ground.
If you do not have the type of personality that can think of renting out your property as a business, and your tenants as your customers, then you may want to hire a professional company to manage the property for you. It will cost you more and reduce your bottom line, but in the long run you will save yourself a lot of angst, and spare your colleagues from hearing about more tenant horror stories.
By Mary I. Hank, CEO
RENT ME FLORIDA
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Hello
ReplyDeleteI have personally experienced these type of people in a homeowners association meeting setting for a condo I owned in another state when I served on the Board. Some people have a toxic personality period and are clueless as to how rude it is to constantly interrupt. We had to use a gavel to keep one person talking at a time and it worked pretty well. I completely agree with your blog - those people would be better off hiring a property manager.
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