What makes a "good" landlord into a "great" landlord?

[Geoff Pettis]

That old adage "it sounds simple" can definitely apply to being a landlord.  Like many things in life doing simple things well can be complicated in execution.  In your experience what makes a "good" landlord into a "great" landlord?

[JD Martin]

Good and Great are subjective and in the eyes of the beholder. A tenant who had a landlord who never raised the rent and was always there on the spot to make repairs would probably call that landlord a great landlord. Other landlords who saw the amount of money the landlord was leaving on the table and the low return on investment would probably not call that landlord a great landlord.

If I was looking at an entire situation of some other landlord/tenant disinterested, I would redefine it as what makes the landlord/tenant experience go from good to great (again, subjective), as:

1. Clear and reasonable expectations from both parties.

2. Both parties meeting their obligations cheerfully and in a timely manner.

3. A long-term relationship with mutual respect and understanding on both sides.

A landlord/tenant relationship is a business/customer relationship, but one in which the business reserves the right to fire the customer for failure to perform.