Falsehoods That Investors and Property Managers Believe About Tenants
All of these assumptions are wrong.
- They won’t declare bankruptcy while living at the property
- And if they do, you can evict them
- They won’t make partial payments
- They won’t make partial online payments
- They understand your late fee policy
- They will pay the water bill
- They will report water leaks such as running toilets or under the sink
- They will change furnace filters
- They don’t have pets and never will
- They won’t lie about assistance animals
- They will obtain renter’s insurance
- And won’t cancel their policy after moving in
- They will report any additional occupants who move in or turn 18
- They will sign and return lease renewals
- They will provide 30 days’ notice to vacate
- They will report fires that occur inside the property
- They will lock doors and windows
- They will maintain gas service on at the property
- They will leave the heat on when they leave for vacation or move out
- They won’t use the oven to heat your home
- They won’t use multiple space heaters with extension cords to heat your home
- They will allow you to view the property with reasonable notice
- They won’t change the locks
- Or if they do, they will give you a copy of the new key
- They won’t add locks to interior bedroom doors
- They won’t paint the walls without asking
- They will vacuum the carpets at any time
- They will respond rationally to nominal rent increases
- They understand month-to-month tenancy
- They read things
- Or if they don’t, at the very least they will read your lease before signing it
- They understand the concept of market rent
- They know how to submit maintenance requests and will do so
- They will move out on or before the last day of their lease
- They will turn in their keys upon move out
- They will notify you in any way when they move out
- They understand the concept of a nonrefundable pet deposit/fee
- They will provide a forwarding address for the security deposit
- They will not try to take every possible advantage of simple mistakes or errors made by you
- They understand pro-rated rent
- They won’t break up, get divorced, or lose their job
- They will not die or commit suicide
- Or if they do, it won’t be in your property
- Their personal check can’t bounce after 3 business days
- Their online ACH payment can’t bounce after 3 business days
- They understand the concept of “jointly and severally liable”
- They won’t smoke inside the property
- They won’t disable or steal smoke detectors
- They understand how to use common household appliances such as dishwashers
- They understand what a circuit breaker is and how to reset it
- They understand what a GFCI outlet is
- They are not physically or mentally disabled and will not become disabled
- They will not modify the structure of your property
- They will report sump pump backup battery failure alarms
- They understand how thermostats work
- They will not assume that because they see “A/C” on a thermostat, that means they have A/C.
- They will not allow the home to become infested with roaches, fleas or bed bugs
- Or if they do, they will report it
- They will not store personal items on the bare floor of an unfinished damp basement
- They will take steps to protect pipes from freezing during very cold weather
- They will not steal or destroy window screens, garage door opener remotes, and fan remotes
- They know how to set up mail forwarding
- They will check their mail
- They won’t allow cable or satellite TV installers to damage the property
- They won’t allow friends or family members to bring pets over for short or long term visits
- They won’t miss appointments that they themselves scheduled for work they requested
- They change their mind about a lease renewal or moveout date
- They will transfer the utilities into their name when they move in
- They understand what “as-is” means
- They will not lose their keys
- Or if they do, they will solve this problem without your help, especially on a night or weekend
- They will not set your property on fire deliberately
- They will report chipping or peeling paint and will not allow their children to eat paint chips
- They will not put their rent into escrow without notifying you or giving you a chance to remedy
- They will not call the health department
- They will not call HUD with a false fair housing complaint about you
- They will not call the local TV news and lie about you on camera
Inspiration via https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/ and https://infiniteundo.com/post/25326999628/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-time
