The relationship between you and your landlord is critical, but most of these relationships need improvement at some level. Whether your landlord works in housing, apartment, or condo property management, you want them on your side. It will make your living situation much easier and much more comfortable. Nobody likes looking over their shoulder or stressing about a landlord visit.
This article will break down some simple ways to improve your landlord/tenant relationship. It’s primarily based on common sense, but there are a few extra ways to get on your landlord’s good side by going above and beyond.
Out of the 122.8 million households in the United States in 2019, 36 percent of them were occupied by renters. That means millions and millions of people need to deal with landlords or property management companies in some capacity. Whether your landlord shows up once a month to collect payment or is around a little more often, you don’t want to dread their visits and you want it to be as pleasant as possible.
Some tenants are the lucky ones: they never really have to interact with their landlord or the property owner. Digital means of payment have eliminated the need for physical payments, and some landlords send their maintenance professionals to fix issues rather than show up themselves. But for the rest of us, we need to make our lives easier by developing a strong and healthy relationship with our landlords. Here is how.
Read Your Lease Diligently
Understanding all the rules and stipulations in your lease is critical to a positive relationship with your landlord or property manager. Many renters run into issues they weren’t expecting because they didn’t understand all the terms and conditions in their lease. This may seem like an obvious point to make, but you’d be surprised.
Refresh yourself with the lease details from time to time. Many folks read their leases once when they sign them, then never look at them again unless it changes when it’s time to renew. There’s a lot of information in there, so you might want to read it a few times to fully understand the terms and finer details so you don’t get into trouble later.
Just Follow the Rules
Another obvious one, you might be thinking. And it is. But many people simply don’t follow the rules of the lease and then find themselves in a sticky situation later on. If you’re planning on hiring luxury interior designers to compliment your space, make sure you inform them of your landlord’s rules and guidelines. Don’t try and pull a fast one on your landlord in the form of getting a pet that is prohibited, smoking inside the property, repainting without asking for permission, or any other common issue.
If you want to explore getting something outside the boundaries of your lease, simply ask your landlord. Chances are, it won’t be a big deal, or you all can work something out that works for both sides. Don’t go behind their back to implement a change you want and hope they don’t notice or you can slide under the radar. It will only cause problems that could raise your rent, introduce new unwanted fees, or even lead to eviction.
Don’t Push It With Payments
Most leases include a grace period for late payments. Generally, this is only a couple extra days after the first of the month. But to develop a strong and trusting relationship early on with your landlord, make timely payments every month to prove you’re reliable and a strong tenant. This will go a long way when it’s time to renew your lease. If you’ve proven yourself to be on time and reliable, there’s a better chance your rent won’t go up or will go up less than if you’re a problem.
If you’re a convenient tenant for your landlord, they’ll likely want to keep the status quo rather than deal with a whole new situation and tenant. But if you’re spotty or consistently late with your payments, he’ll want to upgrade to a more reliable tenant.
Go Out Of Your Way To Be Nice
When your landlord comes by, make a conscious effort to be nice to them. Most people already do this, but make a personable impression that shows you’re a human outside of being a tenant. Ask about their life and family. Compliment your living space and how well they’ve taken care of it. Make sure the space is clean and tidy for their visit; this shows you respect their space and are grateful to be living in it.
Many people paint landlords to be villains when they’re really just people trying to get by and make a living just like you are. Respect them and their space and your relationship will likely be positive and without issue.
Take Careful Care of Your Rented Space
Make an effort to take extra care of your rented space. This means cutting down on maintenance requests that you can prevent, such as damage or excessive fixes due to your behavior. Certain things are out of your control, like when the garbage disposal stops working or your air conditioning. But other things, like new holes in the walls, are sure to damage your relationship with your landlord and express that you don’t take their property seriously.
If you can fix things yourself and save your landlord a trip, that would be beneficial as well. Most people would agree they’d prefer to skip a visit from their landlord anyway.
Conclusion
Everyone has had a difficult landlord at one time or another. But by and large, landlords are simply people trying to make money like the rest of us. Maintaining a strong landlord and tenant relationship shouldn’t be hard. To recap:
- Read and fully understand your lease agreement
- Follow the rules listed
- Make monthly payments on time
- Respect and take care of your rented space
- Just be nice to your landlord
…and you should be totally fine. Your life will be much easier if your landlord likes you, and it will go a long way in negotiating lease agreements in the future.
