Don't Give Me a Reason To Write About You

I write a lot about the bad tenants I run into. But, the majority of the folks I rent to are actually good tenants. Or, they start out as good tenants, and then they give me minor heart failure and fodder for my blog. At any rate, good tenants don’t make for drama. They are primarily ignored except for once a month when I am holding their rent check thinking, Oh yea… that person does rent the house on Elm Street…

So, if you are looking to rent a home, here are a few pointers as to how to make your landlord happy. A happy landlord is more willing to cut you a break now and then and not raise your rent when your lease is up. A happy landlord is more willing to fix a broken widget—even if you are the one who broke it and they know it.

1. Pay on time. This will absolve a multitude of sins in the landlord’s eyes. You can keep your grass longer and maybe sneak a roommate in without the landlord paying too close attention if they are getting the rent on time. A place to live is pretty much a basic need. If for some reason you can't pay on time. Tell your landlord prior to the rent due date. Give a quick, and legitimate reason why (such as rent is due on Thursday, and you get paid on Friday) and then suck it up and pay the late fees. You caused the rent to be late, pay what you owe.

2. You cannot withhold rent because you are mad at your landlord. Whatever you are upset about probably doesn't cost a month's rent. And, in most states, judges frown on this type of thing. If you want to look legitimate go through the same process as everyone else.

3. Fix your own problems. If a towel bar falls off, put it back. There is no reason to call the landlord for the minor things. If you broke it just fix it. Leave the big-ticket items for us. You handle the loose door knob.

4. Unless the house has caught fire, call the landlord during business hours. Every potential non-landlord I have run into, talks about the same cliche'd dreaded call at 2 a.m. because the toilet overflowed. This is what stops them from investing. The middle of the night plumbing SOS has never happened to me. It has never happened to any landlord I have ever met. That said, we would appreciate if you would wait to tell us about the leaky faucet until at least 8 a.m. There really isn't much we can do before that anyway.

5. Clean up your own mess when you move out. We didn't ask you to bring all that stuff with you. Cart it out when you go. And, know if we are called for a future housing reference, we will gladly tell your potential landlords about this.

6. You are responsible for your pets and guests.

7. Get along with the neighbors. Here's a secret. I have probably met your neighbors. And, they will call.

8. Don't assume. You want a ceiling fan in your bedroom. Ask first. Most likely it won't be a problem. But, we don't take it well when we are handed a receipt for something in our home we may or may not have wanted. Or, we might have had a less expensive solution for the same outcome.

9. If your lease is for twelve months, don't decide to buy a home after six months. You have a contract. You are responsible for that contract. It isn't that expensive for a landlord to enforce it. Collections attorneys work on a contingency basis. We will get our money.

10. Stay in touch. If we have a way to contact you, we are happy. We sometimes need to pass along vital information. Give us a way to do it. So, if your e-mail stopped working, if you suddenly don't have a cell phone and your home phone doesn't have an answering machine, we won't go to a lot of effort to help you when you have a problem if we have had to jump through hoops to find you.

So, you see, quiet tenants aren’t necessarily good tenants. The key is abiding by the lease agreement and communication when something needs to be fixed. Landlords understand things happen. We are human. We are more willing to work with you if you give us a reason to do so.