A good landlord-tenant relationship will do wonders for your quality of life as a renter in your rental apartment. You want to be able to trust your landlord, and you want them to trust you. So how do you make sure that the two of you will get along well in your professional relationship? We have a few key tips which should help you out in pretty much any landlord-tenant situation, so that you can make sure your relationship is as good as it can be.
Be Honest and Communicative
This is the number one thing. Whether you’ve broken something in the rental apartment, can’t fulfill part of the lease, or you’re having trouble making rent, your landlord will appreciate your honesty. This will set a foundation of trust between the two of you, and might convince your landlord to give you leeway if you need it in the future. By communicating with your landlord, you nip them in the bud, and avoid letting them fester into something larger. This saves both you and your landlord time and energy.
Read Your Lease
Your landlord will always appreciate it if you’re familiar with your lease. Everything should be spelled out in it, from how long your lease is to what to do to get your security deposit back. By making yourself familiar with the terms of your lease, you’ll be able to solve a lot of situations on your own, and you’ll avoid confusion or trouble with your landlord. If you have trouble understanding the terms of your lease or are concerned about them, make sure you talk them out with your landlord. There could be room to negotiate your lease.
Be Patient
It’s important to understand that your landlord is a person, just like you. You’ll take a lot of weight off their shoulders by understanding that they have their own families and problems. Oftentimes, they even have a second job. As frustrating as it might be, they won’t always be able to respond to requests concerning your rental apartment immediately. By showing some grace towards them when your problem is minor, you can get on their good side. They’re likely to be more understanding towards your side of the situation when you behave with kindness and understanding.
Establish Boundaries
Boundaries can be hard to put down, but they’re healthy. This is particularly true if your landlord lives in the same building as you. They might be comfortable just walking into your apartment without asking first, or other such things, and you might not be comfortable with this. Make sure you talk to your landlord about the things they do which discomfort you. The conversation doesn’t necessarily have to be awkward, either––if you’re polite and collected, your landlord will likely respect your request. For awkward conversations, focus on your challenge, not what you want them to do or what annoys you. For example: “I am struggling to back out of my parking space. Would you mind adjusting how you park so I don’t accidentally scratch your car?”
Put Everything in Writing
As we learned with roommate agreements, having things in writing can be more helpful than one might imagine. If you and your landlord verbally agree to something about your rental apartment or how your lease is carried out, you should ensure that it’s written down. That way, if someone forgets or misunderstands, there’s a written record to look back upon. It might not seem like a big deal in the moment, but it could save a lot of hassle further down the road.
Ask for Help If You Need It
If you have problems like mold, bed bugs, fruit flies, or frozen pipes, it’s best to tell your landlord about them right away. Your landlord is invested in keeping your rental in good working condition as much as you are, and with problems such as these, letting them sit will only cost more money. Therefore, it’s important to your landlord that they understand if something is going wrong inside your rental apartment. They’ll appreciate that you respect the property, and they’ll respect you right back.
We hope this list of tips will help foster a good tenant-landlord relationship! Best of luck on your rental apartment search.
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