If you’ve found your apartment or house rental, but you may be unsure of the landlord, you are not alone. Or maybe you’ve already moved in, and all is going well until you start to deal with the landlord. This is their property, and they get to lay down the rules. But a harsh or mean landlord can often overstep their bounds. Here are some tips for dealing with a difficult landlord.
Know Your Lease
Ideally, it’s best to study the lease before you sign it. Often, small details can be changed before you sign if you are feeling uncomfortable with it. Look for restrictions and rules on overnight guests, noise, pets, digital antennas, or satellite dishes. Ask yourself if your lifestyle will line up with the lease requirements.
Know Your Rights
Make sure to know your tenant rights. If you’ve reached the point of exercising your rights, chances are your relationship with your landlord is already strained. You can visit here to learn your tenant rights.
Communicate Clearly
If something needs to be fixed, make sure your landlord knows the importance of it. This is especially true if it’s something urgent needing fixed like a broken heater or door. If it’s something minor like a dripping faucet, let your landlord know about the problem but be patient. Give them time to get to it. The better you can keep a decent relationship going, the better off you will be. Make sure to let your needs be known clearly and in a polite manner.
Document Important Matters
It doesn’t hurt and can be very helpful to document problems. Take photos of things that are broken. Write down the date that you asked for it to be fixed. To play it smart and be proactive, document every conversation or interaction that you have with your landlord. Hopefully, you won’t have to use your notes in any legal battle, but it is smart to protect yourself.
Consider The Landlord’s Perspectives and Rights
It’s easy to see a boss or landlord as evil or mean, but take a moment to look at things from their perspective. They have more invested in the dwelling than you. They also may have had some bad tenants in the past that abused their rights. Just take a moment to try to understand their side and how they may see things.
Pick Your Battles
Dealing with a difficult landlord can be stressful. But it may be wise to pick and choose which issues are the most important and which to let go. Sometimes putting up with a little discomfort and aggravation can go a long way later when a more important issue arises. If it’s a personality conflict that irritates you, why not try letting it go? True, they shouldn’t talk to you like you are worthless, but do you really care what they think of you if things are getting fixed?
Some people in authority positions have an ego problem. Plain and simple. Bosses and landlords are authority figures in many senses. Some take this role too far. If allowing them to feel powerful keeps your life peaceful, then maybe let them be like that. You get to choose which battles to fight so choose wisely.
Take Good Care of Their Property
It may take the landlord awhile to see that you are a valuable tenant. If you just moved in, you may not know what the last tenant was like. They may have been the one to give your landlord the bad attitude. Take good care of their place and give them time to see how valuable you are as a tenant.
Stay Professional and Polite
No matter how your landlord treats you always stay professional. Don’t stoop down to the owner’s level by trying to match insult with insult. Keep your cool and stay professional. Remember, document what they say, but don’t react in haste.
Final Thoughts:
The tenant/landlord relationship is a naturally delicate and often tense situation. Sometimes you can be friends with your landlord. If that’s the case, consider yourself blessed. But if you are having issues with your landlord, you are probably in the majority, not the minority. Stay calm and don’t let it ruin this part of your life or add stress.
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