Does Size Really Matter?

[Jim K.]

I'm in C'class rentals as a self-managing handyman landlord. I am 6'2" and weigh 350 lbs. Most people peripheral to the business (mortgage brokers, financial advisors, magistrates) tend to tell me I really look exactly like a slumlord. My size is a clear disadvantage for a lot of the handyman work I do (installations in tight areas, roofing).

I'm not a bully. Never been one to push people around. When I see people smaller than me, my first thought isn't, "Oh, I can probably take them." But I think the fact that I'm as big as I am really cuts down on the shenanigans from my tenants. Some of this stuff I read on this site I can barely believe -- nobody would try to pull that with me. Overall, I've noticed that the people I rent to really do tend to be A LOT smaller and obviously weaker than me, as opposed to the homeowners and of course other landlords I meet.

I am also of the opinion that when my tenants see me in my work uniform, pulling up in my work vehicle, and have the opportunity to watch me working on my own properties with my own hands, a lot of class envy really seems to seep away out of the landlord-tenant relationship. I become a guy who's just leveraging his skills to do better, not someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

I'm dead certain it's a lot easier for a tenant to pay rent to a handyman landlord than most others.

But still, working with such an obvious advantage tends to make you blind. So I'd like to know from the BP community of landlords, have you ever been physically intimidated by a tenant? Has a tenant ever tried to bully you with their size? Do you think that if you're small you have a disadvantage to overcome in dealing belly-to-belly with your tenants? I'm really looking for the nuanced perspective of the women who make it as landlords or property managers, too. Thank you!