When an owner says they have “difficult tenants,” we take it with a pinch of salt now

[Gia Hermosillo]

Here’s why:

A while back, our emergency line received a call from a tenant reporting that a car had just crashed into her unit. Within minutes, I was on the phone with her, making sure she was safe, asking about EMS, and informing her that our general manager was already on the way.

What shocked me wasn’t the accident—it was her calm, almost resigned response:
“Yeah, I mean… this isn’t the first time.”

Wait—what?

Turns out, this was the third time the property had been hit by a car. The tenant had lived there through all three incidents. The owner had never disclosed this history to us. Only after the second accident did the tenant push, on her own, to get protective posts installed outside the property.

Here’s the takeaway:
Just because rent is being collected doesn’t mean your best interests—or your tenant’s safety—are being looked after. Without proactive planning, regular inspections, and a long-term property strategy, owners are often left reacting to problems that could have been addressed much earlier.

A property manager’s role goes beyond handling maintenance calls. It’s about protecting your asset, keeping your tenants safe, and helping you play the long game so your investment is working for you, not against you.

So, owners and investors: what’s the wildest surprise you’ve discovered about a property after taking it over?