It’s the age-old struggle: landowner and serf, bourgeoisie and proletariat, those who have the product, and those who want it. When you get right down to it, the property manager/renter relationship is one that is mirrored in class struggle throughout history. As such, it’s not uncommon for managers and residents to view each other with a certain measure of distrust.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Those who are willing to look beyond their own prejudices and establish professional, respectful, friendly relationships with their property owners and managers find that it greatly improves their overall living situation. Still, other than buying lavish gifts or paying disingenuous compliments, how can a renter improve the often-strained relationship with property management upon which the entire rental experience is based? Here are a few tips that might help:
1. Don’t make your property manager’s job harder than it has to be
Property managers are like anyone else—when they get to work in the morning, they’re hoping for a pleasant day devoid of unnecessary complications and aggravations. If, on the other hand, they spend their entire day dealing with disturbances, complaints, and tenants who are constantly looking for ways to get out of responsibilities, their own work satisfaction takes a dive. Make things easier on the property manager by being the model renter. Always pay your rent on time, be respectful of your neighbors and the property, and don’t feel as though you need to take every trivial concern directly to management. If you’re not making things difficult for the property manager, then you’ll be in a prime position to establish a good relationship.
2. Learn your property manager’s name
Whether or not someone actually likes their own given name, chances are that they still like to hear it used. Why is this? The answer is that nobody wants to be objectified; they like to be seen as a unique individual, and their names embody that individuality in ways that no title ever could. The result is that when you refer to someone by their given name, you’re letting them know that you recognize that they matter and that you respect them. Learn the name of your property owner, and use it regularly when you speak to them.
3. Keep a calm head
Even the best rental situations run into the occasional snag. Maybe you’re having disputes with your neighbors. Maybe your A/C has stopped working. Maybe you’re being charged a fine when you don’t believe you should be. Whatever the case, if you decide to take the issue up with your property manager, be sure that you don’t do so in an antagonistic way. The truth is that both of you would like to see the problem solved, so there’s really no need for hostility. Even if your problem is specifically with the manager, remain calm, speak in a respectful tone, and be willing to compromise. If you bully the manager into letting you have your own way, your brief victory will only lead to more difficult battles down the road.
4. Be a good caretaker
When you rent an apartment (or any other property), you’re expected to act as a caretaker to that rental space. No, it isn’t necessarily your responsibility to take care of major repairs, but the day-to-day maintenance and cleanliness of the apartment falls squarely on your shoulders. Of course, if you decide to neglect that responsibility, then once it comes time for you to move, you’ll be paying for it out of your security deposit. But worse than that, if you fail to maintain your rental property in good condition, you’ll be straining your relationship with your property manager. When that happens, you’ll find that your property manager is less willing to go out of their way to help you when you need it, and you can forget about getting a letter of recommendation from them once you decide to move to a new community.
5. Avoid dishonesty
Honesty is the foundation of any good relationship, and your relationship with your property manager is no exception. It’s easy to be honest when everything is going well, but what about when your honesty could potentially hurt you? Say you accidentally damage your property, but could probably hide that damage, or blame it on something else? Or perhaps you notice that you’ve been undercharged on rent or other apartment-related expenses? By staying honest with your property manager—especially when it’s most difficult—you’ll be able to prove yourself to be a person of integrity. Once that has been established, you’ll find that your property manager will be much more inclined to trust you and that your interaction with management will be substantially improved overall.