4 Things Landlords Wish Tenants Knew

As a Landlord, I deal with tenants quite a bit.  For the most part, I love my tenants. I really do.  A landlord/tenant relationship should be an easy one.  You need a place to live. I have a place for you to live. You agree to pay a rental fee every month, and I make sure that you have a safe and secure place to lay your head.  

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it’s not always so smooth. Here are 4 things that landlords wish their tenants knew.


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​1. We are not rich.

Okay, so a select few landlords are rich, but the vast majority are not. We have simply decided to put a few houses on the rental market for a little bit of passive income. Trust me, by the time we pay for the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, property management and all of the maintenance on the house, we don’t pocket anywhere close to what you think we do.  

2. We want you to make the house your home.

We are not heartless people. I love the look on a kid's face when they get to see what their new bedroom looks like, or how big their new backyard is. There is no better feeling than when we place a family, couple, or person in their new home. It makes us feel all warm and cuddly inside. Plus, if you view this house as your home and not just a house, then you are also more likely to take care of it.

3. We want to fix things that are broken in the house.

You are not bothering us when you call about a repair that needs to be made. This house is an asset of ours and we don’t want it to be in disarray and falling down around you. The longer something sits without being looked at, the worse it gets. But, we are not mind readers. You have to tell us when something breaks. Trust me, we do not want to ignore a problem that will only get worse as time goes on. That being said, please also understand that there are certain things that we are not responsible for, so check your lease if you’re not sure.

4. When you don’t pay your rent, we still have to pay the mortgage.

See number 1: We are not rich, so when you don’t pay your rent - the mortgage payment, insurance, property taxes and all the maintenance still have to be paid by your landlord. Of course, we also understand that stuff sometimes happens.  If you are not a habitual late payer, and one month just got away from you for one reason or another, just tell us.  We can’t forgive all late payments, but once in a blue moon is okay as long as you are upfront and honest with us  from the very first day of the month.

Yes, we are Landlords, but we are not the enemy.  I love my tenants and it is of the utmost importance to me to make sure they all have a place that they call home. A place where they are happy and that they want to stay in for as long as they need/want.
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I understand that this article is a bit one sided, so stay tuned for my next post: “4 Things That Tenants Wish Their Landlords Knew”.

You might also be interested in 'Should You Buy or Lease a House in New Smyrna Beach or Edgewater Florida?

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