All
Members
Companies
Blog
Forums
Podcast
Webinars
    User Log in  /  Sign up
  • Forums
    Newest Posts Trending Discussions Followed Forums Real Estate News & Current Events General Landlording & Rental Properties Buying & Selling Real Estate Deal Analysis See All
  • Education

    Read

    BiggerPockets Blog BPInsights: Expert Analysis Coronavirus Content & Resources Guides Glossary Reviews Member Blogs

    Watch

    Webinars Video Library Financial Independence Blueprint Intro to Real Estate: Rentals

    Listen

    BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast BiggerPockets Money Podcast BiggerPockets Business Podcast Real Estate Rookie Podcast Daily Podcast (Audio Blog)

    Topics

    Business Operations Finance Finding Deals Property Management Property Types Strategy
  • Network

    Recommended Vendors

    Real Estate Agents Mortgage Lenders Companies Hard Money Lenders Contractors Investment Companies

    Search

    Members Events Jobs
  • Tools

    Calculators

    Rental Property Fix and Flip BRRRR Rehab Estimator
    Wholesaling Mortgage Payment 70% Rule Airbnb

    Services

    BPInsights: Property Insights Tenant Screening Property Management Lease Agreement Packages

    New Feature

    BPInsights (beta)

    Quickly analyze a property address or ZIP Code to compare your rent in your neighborhood.

    Analyze a property
  • Find Deals
    Real Estate Listings Find Foreclosures External Link Ads, Jobs, and Other
  • Bookstore

    Real Estate Books

    Profit Like The Pros Bidding to Buy See all books

    Featured Book

    BiggerPockets Wealth Magazine book cover
    BiggerPockets Wealth Magazine

    Written by financial journalists and data scientists, get 60+ pages of newsworthy content, expert-driven advice, and data-backed research written in a clear way to help you navigate your tough investment decisions in an ever-changing financial climate! Subscribe today and get the Oct/Nov issue delivered to your door!

    Get the Magazine
  • Pricing
Log In Sign up
User
Quick search links
Podcast Hard Money Lenders Books Washington
BlogArrowLandlording & Rental PropertiesArrowLandlords: Forget Being “Nice.” THIS is the Key to a Good Tenant Relationship.
Landlording & Rental Properties

Landlords: Forget Being “Nice.” THIS is the Key to a Good Tenant Relationship.

Kevin Perk
Expertise: Landlording & Rental Properties, Real Estate Investing Basics, Flipping Houses, Business Management, Personal Development, Mortgages & Creative Financing, Real Estate News & Commentary
210 Articles Written
landlord-professional

Many landlord/tenant relationships end up being rather adversarial. I hear many tenants say that they are moving because their current landlord is not nice. I have even heard newbies who are just getting into the landlording business say that one of their goals is to be a "nice" landlord, unlike ones they have had in the past.

Want more articles like this?

Create an account today to get BiggerPocket's best blog articles delivered to your inbox

Sign up for free

So what is it that makes landlords grumpy? Does this lack of niceness just go with the territory? Perhaps. After all, landlording is not like most other businesses. With most other businesses, there is a one-time transaction, a one-time exchange of goods and services, and then the two parties go their separate ways. If one or the other does not like the transaction, they do not have to do engage in another one.

This scenario is not quite the same with landlording. Here, the transaction often lasts a year or more, with each side tied to the other. It can be very difficult to cut those ties if the transaction or relationship starts to go south. Plus, as landlords we get to see people at their most basic level — in their homes, when perhaps they are not always going to be on their best behavior or putting their best foot forward. We may even see our tenants at their worst or after a tragic event. These unique characteristics can make it really difficult for a landlord or a tenant to be nice all the time.

Because of this uniqueness in the landlord/tenant relationship, being nice is not what is really needed. Perhaps the “nice” part flows out of and is the result of something else. That something else is respect. Perhaps I will be nice if you respect me and my property. Perhaps you will be nice to me if I respect you and your home. So if respect leads to being “nice,” how does each side in the relationship earn and keep the other’s respect?

Related: The Speech You Should Be Giving to Every Single Tenant Moving Into Your Rentals

Let’s start with the tenant side.

security-deposits

A Tenant Should…

Respect the Agreement They Signed

As a tenant, you likely signed a lease before you moved into your new home. That lease is a contract. It contains all manner of clauses and rules that you are bound to try and uphold. These include the rent amount, payment dates and length of tenancy, noise rules and others. By signing the lease, you give your word that you will follow it. Do your best to stand by your word.

Respect the Landlord’s Property

I work hard to maintain my property. The last thing I need is you or your visitors breaking things, trashing the place or just making life difficult for other tenants. Even little things like throwing cigarette butts on the ground shows disrespect. Please help me keep your home looking good. And if you do break something, own up to it. Don’t lie to me, as I can usually see past it anyway. I will respect you a lot more if you are honest.

Respect the Landlord’s Time

My time is very valuable to me, as there is only so much of it to go around. If I ask you to meet me at a certain time to look at a problem or repair or whatnot, please try to make it on time. I know your time is valuable, so please respect mine.

Not Bury Their Head in the Sand

Life is full of surprises. I know and understand this. I realize that things break, that people lose their jobs or get sick or have otherwise bad things happen. But please do not bury your head in the sand when bad things happen. Tell me. I may be able to help you. If you bury your head in the sand without talking to me, I have to assume the worst, which will likely make your situation even more untenable. Talk to me and let me know what is going on.

A lack of respect is not always just the tenant’s fault. Landlords are sometimes just as guilty. What should a landlord do to keep a tenant’s respect?

best-tenants

A Landlord Should…

Respect Their Tenant’s Privacy

Landlords, you cannot just barge in on your tenants any time you want. Your property is now their home. You have to schedule repairs, maintenance, whatever (unless it is an emergency) with them. Give them some notice; they will really appreciate it. Also, don’t share their personal information. Don’t tell prospective tenants who their neighbors are and don’t leave their info lying around where anyone can see or get ahold of it.

Respect Their Tenant’s Money

Put some of their rent money aside to do upkeep and repairs. Give their security deposit back when they move out if they deserve it. After all, it is their money.

Related: 12 Tips I’ve Learned From Screening Close to 500 Prospective Tenants

Fix Things

The lack of repairs is usually a tenant’s biggest complaint and can easily turn a landlord/tenant relationship sour. So please fix things when it is necessary. Don’t be cheap, because it usually ends up costing you a lot more later on, either in terms of more costly repairs or lower quality of tenants.

Always Be Professional

Don’t yell or scream or otherwise lose your temper. I know this can be very difficult at times, but you have to keep your cool. No matter what the tenant does or does not do, keep your cool and always try to be professional. You will only hate yourself for losing your cool later on.

Can you be a “nice” landlord? I think so, but I also think “niceness” will grow out of mutual respect. If a tenant respects you and your property and you respect a tenant and their concerns, the relationship will be on a solid foundation. How could you not be nice at that point?

[Editor’s Note: We’re republishing this article to help out landlords who have found BiggerPockets more recently. Let us know your thoughts with a comment!]

Landlords: What are the tried-and-true rules you live by when managing tenants? Do you befriend them or leave the relationship more professional?

Let’s talk in the comments section!

By Kevin Perk
Kevin Perk is co-founder of Kevron Properties, LLC with his wife Terron and has been involved in real estate investing for 10 years. Kevin invests in and manages rental properties in Memphis, TN and is a past president and vice-president of the local REIA group, the Memphis Investors Group.
Read more
42 Replies
    Gabe G. from Greenwood, Indiana
    Replied almost 5 years ago
    These things are great and if they all happened in reality, land lording would be pretty easy. Unfortunately, most of these things start breaking down. I know there are bad landlords out there, that don’t respect their tenants. But every new tenant I try to put on a clean slate. While I do have the relationship described with some tenants, the others the relationship usually starts breaking down on the tenant side. 1. Tenant saying things they are going to do on x date, but don’t 2. Respecting the property 3. Respecting my time(I shouldn’t have to chase to get my money) 4. Telling lies After these start to happen the relationship starts to break down and while you continue on and try to put on a good front. I have loss respect for the tenant at this point, and I am simply trying to manage the relationship to cause the least damage to the business.

    Report Abuse

    Why are you reporting this?

    Additional Comments (optional)

    Cancel
    Brandon E.
    Replied almost 5 years ago
    I once heard the adage ‘This is my house but it is your home’. I try to use this quote at the time when a tenant and I are reviewing the lease agreement together to re-enforce the concept of mutual respect for each other to set the right tone from the start in the tenant-landlord relationship. I have also made the comment to a tenant when they are moving out to please respect me enough leave the place as clean as when they moved in. It is never as clean as day one but have seemed to have had some success with not having tenants leave the units trashed. This is just a couple of anecdotes but in reality it is a series of positive tenant-landlord interactions that makes for a successful experience for both parties.

    Report Abuse

    Why are you reporting this?

    Additional Comments (optional)

    Cancel
    Tom
    Replied over 4 years ago
    Some comments: Respect the Agreement They Signed – Having rented for a while I find that, (i) contracts are often illegal and unfair and (ii) the process by which contracts are “agreed to” is problematic. Contracts are long, often presented at the last minute, major or exceptional clauses are hidden, and the tenant has often invested a lot of time before agreeing to a contract. Entering into a free agreement with full knowledge is one thing, being bait-and-switched into something under coercion with no ability to negotiate is another. If you want people to respect an “agreement” it’s important to actually have them “agree” rather than just sign.

    Report Abuse

    Why are you reporting this?

    Additional Comments (optional)

    Cancel
    Tom
    Replied over 4 years ago
    “I try to be respectful and considerate also I will honor the terms of our Lease. I want my Tenants to be respectful and considerate and honor the terms of the Lease.” You are willing to honour the agreement that you write. How strange 😛 My experience with rental agreements is that they consist of six clauses that are legal obligations for the landlord, followed by about 50 clauses, 5 of which are illegal.
    Deanna Opgenort Rental Property Investor from San Diego, CA
    Replied about 4 years ago
    Is this guy possibly for real? “Your honor, I shouldn’t be legally bound by this contract because I didn’t really AGREE with it. I just signed it because the landlord wouldn’t let me move in otherwise. And besides, the contract was really, really long.” … Some people just aren’t safe without adult supervision.

    Report Abuse

    Why are you reporting this?

    Additional Comments (optional)

    Cancel

    Report Abuse

    Why are you reporting this?

    Additional Comments (optional)

    Cancel
Rotate Log in or sign up to comment

Related Blog Posts

Landlording & Rental Properties Jan 16, 2021

5 Essential Property Maintenance Tasks To Keep Your Rental in Tip-Top Shape

By Remen Okoruwa

Rental property maintenance is not something to neglect unless your tenants complain. Instead, responsible landlords stay on top of these key tasks.

Read more →

Landlording & Rental Properties Jan 13, 2021

Rental Arbitrage: The Secret to Making a Fortune on Airbnb Without Owning Property

By Jason Allen

Most people think that they need own property to be a real estate investor. Most people think they need thousands of dollars to start making money. This thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. Introducing Airbnb arbitrage, one of the best kept secrets of the real estate investing industry.

Read more →

Landlording & Rental Properties Jan 09, 2021

8 Reasons the Best Landlords Always E-Sign Rental Agreements

By Remen Okoruwa

Make the switch to electronic signatures and reap the many benefits—like a faster, smoother lease-signing process and easy access to signed documents (just to name a few).

Read more →

Landlording & Rental Properties Jan 03, 2021

6 Tips for Listing Your Rental Property Online

By Remen Okoruwa

No one drives around looking for rental signs on front lawns or scans the classifieds in the newspaper. Reach a massive audience by listing your rental online.

Read more →
Log in Sign up

Log in

Forgot password?

If you signed up for BiggerPockets via Facebook, you can log in with just one click!

Log in with Facebook

Or
btn_google_dark_normal_ios Created with Sketch. Continue with Google

Let's get started

We just need a few details to get you set up and ready to go!

Use your real name

Use at least 8 characters. Using a phrase of random words (like: paper Dog team blue) is secure and easy to remember.

By signing up, you indicate that you agree to the BiggerPockets Terms & Conditions.

Or
btn_google_dark_normal_ios Created with Sketch. Continue with Google

Why create an account?

Receive a free digital download of The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing.

Connect with 1,000,000+ real estate investors!

Find local real estate meetups and events in your area.

Start analyzing real estate properties, we do the math for you.

It's free!

Explore

  • Membership
  • Community
  • Education
  • Marketplace
  • Tools
  • FilePlace
  • REI Resources
  • Perks
  • Glossary
  • Reviews
  • iOS App
  • Android App

Company

  • About Us
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • Careers
  • Stats
  • Contact Us

Important

  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Terms of Use
  • Rules
  • Privacy
  • FAQ

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
© 2004-2021 BiggerPockets, LLC. All Rights Reserved.