Do you let tenants know where you live?

Question

I want to start off by saying that I do not wear a tinfoil hat and think that everyone is watching me, but I do have a stay at home wife with two small children so their safety is important.

With that in mind, do you allow tenants to know the address of your personal residence?  I live in a small town about a 1/2 hour outside of the main city (population approx. 120,000) where I do/will hold most of my investment properties.

Right now, I have tenants mail rent checks directly to our home address, but I have been thinking of changing this.  Since I work in the larger city everyday, it would be no problem for me to get a P.O. Box to have the rent sent to each month.

Currently I have just higher end rentals in nice neighborhoods, but I will soon be purchasing some low income rentals.  So far I have not had any situations where a tenant may have a grudge against me (knock on wood).  I know with higher end rentals it is not a guarantee that I will not run into this situation, but with some of the low income rentals there will probably be a greater chance of some mad tenants.

I know it is still not difficult to track down an address if you are determined, but if they are mailing the checks to a P.O. Box in a totally different town it at least takes away the most obvious way of pointing out where my family lives.

I would appreciate everyone's thoughts on this, or if they have ran into problems with tenants knowing their address I would love to hear about it.

Greg B. · Answer

Also agree to use a PO Box or biz drop slot.  I tried the deposit slip idea but I guess I didn't train my tenants well enough.

I not only try to protect myself and family from my tenants but also crazed contractors.  I had to use an unknown HVAC guy in a pinch.  My normal guys were out of pocket.  All instructions were issued by phone.  The tenant verified repair.  I arranged to meet him at a place and time for payment.  He stood me up, called me an hour later to reschedule.  I told him he already wasted enough of my time, just send me a bill and I'll get a check to him.  He went all kind of crazy on me.  Accused me of trying to get out of paying.  Showed back up at the rental and began harassing the tenants.  The tenants called and said the HVAC guy was a crack head.  I left payment the next day in a remote location and told him to get the money and never bother me again.

You never know what people will do or what motivates them.

Marc Freislinger · Answer

I agree with J.

Keep yourself as separated as you can. At some point, you'll be the asshole who's kicking some (deadbeat) out of  "their" home.

I use a PM company for mine, and all they ever from me is the companies office address.

When I was in college, I had to evict a renter (who lost his job because he robbed it) take a baseball bat to my car. Not something I want repeated.

J Scott · Answer

I'm certainly not the paranoid type either, but not only do I not let tenants know where I live, but they don't even know that I own the property.

The only time I meet tenants is when I sign the lease with them, and at that point, I just tell them that I'm the boss of my property manager (which is true).  So, since they know my property manager doesn't own the property, they assume I don't either.

As for payments, I give my tenants two ways:

1. Mail a check to my P.O. Box

2. Direct deposit in my bank account (using preprinted deposit slips I give them)

All of them use #2 currently, which is great...

J Scott · Answer

If the property is in a business name and the Registered Agent of the business is not you, finding your info from property and business records should be fairly difficult.

Also, wrt the question about using preprinted deposit slips, I don't really worry about tenants having my bank account number (account numbers are easy to find), but to be safe, I use a separate account for each property and I transfer the money out every month or two so there is never much in any property account anyway.

Jeffrey K. · Answer

We try to conceal where we live, but it is not possible with the property recording information online.  You can find out where your landlord lives if you have the internet.

Ryan B. · Answer

Bryan:  I definately understand that it is not hard to find people with the internet in today's world, but I want to at least slow them down.

I don't really worry about the crazies when I am home as I have a rather menancing presence (around 300 lbs and look like I just walked out of a Hell's Angels club house). It is more just that I have a petiet wife and two small children that are home alone all day.  Although she is a pretty good shot with the 9mm.  :D

Bryan Hancock · Answer

I operate through property managers for almost all of my units so my tenants don't know where I live.

Having said that, it wouldn't be too much trouble for them to find out in today's Google world and anyone that thinks it would is kidding the guy in the mirror.  If you are worried about crazies that is why we have the 2nd amendment.

Lee G. · Answer

I'd agree with everything that has been said... You never know when your relationship with your tenants will go south. The last thing you want to deal with is a pissed tenant standing on your door. Having a separate address also cements the fact in everyone's mind -- yours and the tenant's -- that this is a business and a business relationship. Many landlords loose grasp of the business angle of this and treat their rentals as a play thing. Never forget that your job is to provide clean, high quality housing. Your tenant's job is to take care of your assets and pay rent.

Dale Osborn · Answer

It is best to have a rent drop slot on site that you check on a regular basis. Then you introduce yourself as just the Manager for your silent partners. Any decisions that need to be made - always explain you have to check with the Owners first. This worked well for us for many years. Now that we havea 55+ MHP and reside above the office - it was a little difficult to say we are just the manager.

Brandon Kamm · Answer

Your tenants have no business knowing where you live.  With that in this day in the technology age if someone wants to put in time to find you, they can. The landlord tenant relationship is a business relationship....one that can require communication 24/7.  With that being said using a property manager is a way to go.  If you don't use one use a po box for rents, have a cell phone strictly used for rental, keep your address and phone unpublished, and only met tenants at the property.  If they are looking for you and have to track you down at home there will be an unpleasant result somewhere down the road.

Do you let tenants know where you live?

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