When you have a good relationship with your Mt. Pleasant landlord, life can be a lot easier. However, would it be a good idea to be friends with your landlord? Here are some important considerations to remember if you are contemplating renting from a friend or building a friendship with your present landlord. Landlord-tenant friendships can work, but it does take effort. Here are some things to keep in mind to ensure that your rental relationship will not ruin your personal one.
Document Everything
The days of doing business with a handshake are long gone. If you are going to be renting a friend’s property, ask for a detailed lease that explains all your rights and responsibilities. If you have agreed on items that are not in the lease, document everything. This documentation of your landlord’s expectations will protect you in case there are changes in any circumstances. It will also help hold both you and your landlord accountable.
Separate Business and Pleasure
Your friendship with your landlord will benefit from healthy boundaries to govern your landlord-tenant interactions as well as your social time together. Do not discuss rental home-related concerns in social settings, and respect that being friends with your landlord does not mean he has to accommodate every request you make. Expecting special treatment will only cause problems between you and your landlord as well as between your other roommates. Remember that although you are friends, being a landlord is our friend’s business so you should maintain professionalism.
Set Boundaries
As you keep your business and personal relationships separate, it is also vital that you set good boundaries with your landlord in other ways as well. Your landlord might think it is okay to invite themselves into your home or to your possessions as a close friend would. This can often cross the line between being a landlord and taking advantage of a friend. When a landlord starts crossing a boundary, it becomes easy to overstep in other ways, too. You can prevent this from happening by stopping these behaviors once they start to surface. Good boundaries will maintain your positive relationship with your landlord.
Anticipate Awkwardness
This friendship with your landlord may help you become more comfortable in your regular interactions. But there will be times that these conversations will become awkward, like if you begin discussing other tenants or even aspects of the landlord’s business that have nothing to do with your rental situation. If your landlord resides nearby or is often on the property, you might feel pressured to engage in regular conversation or even invite them to your social events. It can be a big problem if your landlord feels left out if he is not involved in every social activity in your rental home. While it could be awkward, you have to make it clear to your landlord that your friendship does not obligate you to include them in all your activities. Similarly, do not expect to be invited to all of your landlord’s social gatherings. Neither of you will benefit from blurring the lines of your relationship.
Maintaining a friendship with your landlord or comfortably renting from a friend can be very challenging. If you want to protect your friendship from these complications, it would be best to keep things polite but professional with your landlord
Are you looking for a Mt. Pleasant rental house managed by true professionals? Then think about getting to know our Mt. Pleasant property management team! Contact us online or call us at 828-342-9683.
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