What Surprised You Most About Being a Landlord?

[Charoki Raposa-Luther]

I’ve been learning a lot from conversations here and would love to hear from more experienced landlords:

What’s one thing that completely surprised you when you started managing rental properties?

Maybe it was how often tenants call, how quickly maintenance adds up, or even something that turned out to be easier than expected.

I’m all ears — your insight helps folks like me better understand what really goes on behind the scenes!

[Andrew Syrios]

A few things. How much turnover can cost is a big one. The maintenance items that should be done but we never hear about because some tenants just live with them. On the the other hand, the damage some tenants can do to a property in a short time. And how hard it is to get a tenant who is behind to do what's in their best interest (i.e. take cash for keys and move out early) versus forcing an eviction and making it really hard to find a new place.