The housing process is a two-way street. While having a good landlord is important, it is equally important to be a good tenant. The lease you sign is an agreement; while as a renter, you expect your landlord to hold up his or her end of the bargain, you are expected to do the same. Here are 4 qualities of the worst type of tenants- make sure you are not ‘that guy’!
Tenants Who Complain Too Much
“There’s a creak in my floor! I don’t know how to change a lightbulb!” While open lines of communication between a landlord and tenant are crucial, complaining about every little thing deteriorates that relationship. Make sure to go over the lease to see what the landlord is responsible for and what you have to take of yourself.
Tenants Who Don’t Communicate At All
On the other hand, there are the tenants who are on the opposite side of the spectrum. If there is an actual issue, it is important to communicate it properly with your landlord. If you don’t, a leak that you didn’t consider a big deal that would cost $200 to fix can escalate quickly to a $2,000 problem.
Tenants Who Don’t Pay on Time
Life happens- inevitably, there might be a month that comes up where you can’t swing rent. It is important you relay this to your landlord and stick to whatever agreement was made in your lease. If you agreed that there would be a late fee of $50, make sure to pay that extra $50. While your landlord is a human who can sympathize, they are also running a business.
Tenants Who are Disruptive to Neighbors
While it is important to enjoy your living arrangements, the people around you want that same luxury as well. Home should be a sanctuary, so don’t ruin it for your neighbors. Do not be overly noisy on weeknights and be courteous of the people who share your living space. A big headache to landlords is tenant-on-tenant disputes. Remember the lesson we all learned in kindergarten: treat others how you want to be treated.
