Sometimes You Just Have to Say No!
By
Anesia
Springborn
The
Landloard System by Anesia
Sometimes one of the best things you can
do in life is just say no. People know that if they don't ask, they will
never get. So they ask! And ask they do.
Tenants will ask you for ridiculous favors sometimes. “Can you come down and
change my light bulb? I can't reach it.” It happens to be 6:00 in the
morning, they need to get ready for work, and can't because it's dark. You
need to come right away. If you're feeling parental at the moment, your
impulse might be to say “OK, I'll be right there.”
If you do this, what are the chances
you'll get called in for another not-so-emergency favor? A favor that any
tenant should be responsible enough to figure out for themselves? The old
adage “give an inch, take a mile” has stood the test of time for good
reason.
Maybe you don't have it in your
conscience to say no in such a desperate situation as above. How can you
leave a tenant hanging like that? The answer is in your systems. You have a
system of forms that documents expectations. One of your forms is a very
effective lease agreement. Your lease agreement simply defines what the
tenant is responsible for and what you are responsible for as the landlord.
Once everyone has reviewed and signed the lease agreement, your job becomes
much easier.
You've already let your tenants know it
is their responsibility to change light bulbs. You've already let them know
that if you agree to a favor such as this you are charging a handsome trip
charge. There are no surprises because the lease agreement has been read and
signed.
Now only one of a few things could
possibly happen:
-
The tenant doesn't ask for these
favors
-
If they do ask, you can remind them
of the lease agreement they signed and you can say no without any guilt
-
If you want to do the favor, you will
smile as you collect the trip charge on your way out
One of the key sources of conflict in a
landlord tenant relationship, or any relationship for that matter, is a
difference in expectations. One person thinks and expects one thing, and the
other person thinks and expects something different. When one is expected to
do something unexpected, they may do it and resent it later. Feelings of
resentment can lead to actions or inactions that are not beneficial to your
bottom line!
The answer is in prevention. Use a lease
agreement that is specific, is written in plain English, and that outlines
consequences. Be careful of lease agreements that are very legal in nature
and are difficult to interpret. Tenants may blindly sign them without
realizing what they have agreed to. One way to test the “understandable
quotient” of your lease agreement is to have a college-age person read it
and explain it back to you. If they can, you have a winner. The best lease
agreement is one that specifies what will happen if someone does not keep up
their end of the bargain. This allows your tenant to make an informed choice
should they elect to break their agreement, and it makes saying no that much
easier!
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About the author
This article has been written by Anesia Springborn, real estate
investor and creator of The Landlord System. Anesia teaches her
students how to leverage time and money to grown their passive
income stream. She may be reached by visiting
www.TheLandlordSystem.com
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