How to be easily accessible

Question

Hi BP.

So my husband and I are working on buying our first property. We are planning to house-hack our first few properties. As we continue to grow, how have you and/or your significant other deal with tenants? For example, when a tenant wants to contact you about a minor leak, do you have them call you or your partner? How do you keep yourself organized and easy to reach? I was looking into getting Google Voice and have office hours but in case of an emergency, what is the best way to reach you?

Nathan Gesner · Answer

You can create a Google Voice number, then set it to only take messages. You can get an email copy of the message, as well. Look at it and decide if it needs to be dealt with immediately or if it can wait until the following business day. Set it up, test it, then explain it to your tenant. If there is a true emergency, they should be able to knock on your door.

Explain this up front and then adhere to it. If your tenant calls on a Saturday night with a non-emergency, don't decide to be nice and respond that night because that will open the door to more contacts.

Al D. · Answer

@Kate Jones Majority of my properties are professionally managed.  I expect my PMs to have a 24-hour emergency line.  They better check them, too.

But I still self-manage where there are no good PMs:

Especially if it comes to things like a water leak, I would want to be contacted immediately.  My spouse (co-owner) does not deal with tenants, PMs, lenders, etc.  I do it all (and keep her in the loop.)  But I make sure that both our names are on the lease, with both cell numbers, landlines, emails - all in case of emergency.  And I stipulate that my cell (text) is to be attempted first.  In close to a decade (I’m thinking 12 tenants) since doing it together, my spouse is yet to get contacted once.

At times when both of us may go out of the country/enter prolonged dead zones, I notify each tenant by email that there may be delays in getting back to them, and to only use my email during those specified dates.

Whether you may want to set up a separate Google voice line is up to you.  Just make sure you answer whichever means you provide your tenant to contact you if an emergency should strike, including your front door.  I only use a Google voice line when I advertise for rent - once an applicant becomes my tenant, I make sure they become aware of my regular cell number.

My leases also stipulate that any non-emergency communication should be done via email first.  I never house-hacked, but would hope that this type of language - along with stating clear expectations/directions - would also set official boundaries between the “neighbors.”

Good luck with your plans.