Jul 08 2009
Being Fair and Not Being Taken Advantage of
Being a landlord gives an initial aura of being different than other businesses. I believe this is because your product is an intangible. You’re not selling an item like a store. You’re selling a service, but even that is different than most services. It’s not like you are an electrician or plumber where you come in, perform a service and get paid. As landlords the service we provide is a properly maintained housing unit.
The service we provide forces us to have a different relationship with our customers than a plumber would have with their customers. Our business relationship with our customers can last for multiple years. We can see marriages happen, children being born, growing up, etc. We have a view into intimate happenings.
On a personal note, I will say that I believe that if you are a good person, and treat people well, you will be treated well and have a good life. You can call it living by the golden rule, karma, whatever you want. My point is that it is how I live my life and it flows through to my business practices.
As a landlord, especially a new landlord, it can be hard to realize that there needs to be a line drawn between the tenant and you. This is a business and it nes to be treated as such. This isn’t charity, it isn’t a helping hand, it is a business.
When it comes to landlording it may seem that those two points conflict but I don’t believe so. I give everyone a fair shake when i deal with them. I don’t take advantage of anyone and I don’t expect to be taken advantage of. If a tenant doesn’t pay me I see it as being taken advantage of. I live up to my end of the deal by taking care of any issues that arise and providing good, sound housing. They need to live up to their end by paying on time and taking care of the property.
What goes around comes around.