Landlords’ Pet Peeves

a smattering of things that grind area landlords’ gears

V1 Staff

I'm telling the landlord on you.
 
I'm telling the landlord on you.
  • “Being afraid to call about simple maintenance problems that end up getting bad. Like a toilet running, which is a pretty easy fix, but can lead to a huge water bill if I’m not notified.”
  • “Roommates not being able to settle disputes among themselves. I’m not your parents and you aren’t kids anymore. You have to sit down and figure that out yourselves.”
  • “Expecting the landlord to do everything. Leaking toilets are one thing, and I’ll fix that, but plugged ones, that’s all you …”
  • “When tenants / parents expect us to arbitrate roommate conflicts, it’s not our job to tell you roommate she shouldn’t eat your cheerios, borrow your clothes, puke in your bed. You are an adult, learn to manage your life, and don’t have your mom call us. It makes you look silly.”

95 percent of our tenants don’t cause problems and have a good relationship with us. The remaining five percent are good people but not great tenants. This small group creates most of our headaches.

  • “No, we won’t let you out of the lease just because you broke up with your live-in boyfriend or girlfriend. I’m sure they are psycho, make you cry, slept with your best friend; you should have maybe thought about that before you signed a lease with someone you started dating last week.”
  • “Being told we are ‘unfair’ when you are caught breaking the lease.”
  • “Behavior has consequences. Being considerate and aware that your behavior affects others is critical when living near others in apartment buildings. Use common sense.”
  • “The No. 1 tension between tenants and landlords is security deposit withholding. Landlords are jerks if they withhold a nickel, when in reality there are often legitimate damages that tenants should be charged for. These concerns need to be addressed calmly by all parties involved. Handle it in a rational way. Making allegations and defamatory comments is counterproductive and leads to conflict.”
  • “Having more tenants than are supposed to be on lease.”
  • “Some units don’t allow pets, but they try to sneak them in anyway. They always say they’re ‘just visiting.’ There needs to be an open line of communication between landlord and tenant. We’re willing to help in a bad situation. People are intimidated for some reason, and will avoid phone calls. Sometimes they just move, and don’t contact me for help first. I can help them get out of their lease … tell me if the rent is going to be late.”
  • “Not getting along, and being petty about what the neighbors are doing. In a duplex, say if they’re running down the hallway too fast … don’t call the landlord.”
  • “Not closing the shower curtain causes water damage to the floor and walls. Water leaks into the apartment below them. If you plug the toilet, it’s not broken. It quit working for a reason.”
  • “We do semi-annual inspections of all units, so we try to keep an eye on housekeeping and the yard. Don’t leave pumpkins out rotting until spring. And staying away from trouble with the police (we do background checks annually). And letting others live with them illegally – that’s a big one.”