Former Home Owners

Currently, I have a client who wants to rent a home. They are super-nice, considerate folks. Last year I helped them find a rental home. And, they called again this year. Some day, maybe they will buy from me. But for now, maybe they will just refer a friend or two.

Normally, in Arizona, the process of helping a renter find a home goes like this: I show the rental home, they take the application, fill it out and hand it over to the agent who listed the property and I get paid a small stipend for my time.

This is a far cry from Alabama where real estate agents don't list rental properties on MLS and they certainly aren't going to show rental properties. That is left for the likes of folks like Kirby and Carolsue. Well, technically only Kirby. He is a licensed agent and he owns a property management company. Carolsue falls into a gray category because these are my properties, therefore she can do me a favor, but Legal Eagle just shakes her head and has asked me not to give her too many details.

Though rentals don't pay much, there is very little work to do. So, in a way, dollar per hour, it is a great deal. Except in this case. I believe I would make a higher wage per hour if I were working in a manufacturing company in a third world nation. But I am not complaining. Work is work.

My clients aren't professional renters. They have owned a home. And, like most former home owners, they want to negotiate. Every. Little. Thing. I don't blame them, I really wish more tenants were this fussy. My experience is that tenants who are fussy up front are a dream once they move in.

When I think about my ideal tenant, I go back and forth with this. Professional renters don't ask for anything. They have lower standards and want the landlord to leave them alone as much as the landlord wants to be left alone. However, professional renters tend to think of the home in terms of, "The rich landlord won't care if we leave the place in shambles. After all, he is the rich landlord."

I find former home owners tend to nitpick every little thing before they move in. Could the carpets be cleaned again? They look clean, but you never know who has walked on them from the time they were cleaned last week and up until today. When was the last time the AC was serviced? Will the landlord provide a receipt to prove it? They want more, they expect more and generally they take much better care of the home--so landlords will give more. However, they wear out all semblence of goodwill by the time they move in.

Mrs. Spring comes to mind. I am told my clients (who are exceptional people--I can't stress that enough!) and their requests are wearing thin on the good nature of the landlord. I understand both sides of this. But in the long run, if both sides ever come to a meeting of the minds, I am guessing the landlord will be happy he gave in.