If you’re renting an apartment, your relationship with your landlord is one of the most important things that you should maintain. That’s because it will be a determining factor for the quality of your stay. If the need arises to transfer to a new apartment in the future, you will need a good referral from your landlord. Being on your landlord’s good side will also help you in asking for small favors that may go against your contract. In short, it will make your apartment life easier and smoother. Below are tips that will help you establish and maintain a good relationship with your landlord.
Pay your rental dues on time.
This is at the top of every renter’s responsibilities. Chances are, your landlord has taxes, mortgages and maintenance fees to pay, and she will need your monthly rent to pay for her financial dues. So, if you cannot pay your monthly rent on time, give your landlord prior notice. Do not play hide and seek with her. Do not avoid her calls. If she’ll allow you once to be late with your payment, do not make a habit out of it and abuse her kindness. Make sure to pay your rental dues on time next month.
Be a good tenant and comply with the rules in the contract.
Obey the stipulations and rules stated in the contract that you signed. Do not be the source of your landlord’s headaches. The rules in the contract were made to ensure that every tenant would have a safe, harmonious and healthy stay in your apartment complex or building. If smoking is not allowed inside the complex, do everyone a favor and do it outside.
Be the good neighbor that you’d want to live with.
Do not just be friendly with the people who live next door. Be courteous and sensitive to their needs. If your walls are not completely soundproof, do not blast those speakers at full volume. Avoid having loud parties late at night. You wouldn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night because of the loud music and boisterous laughter from the other side of the wall, right?
Keep your space clean.
Treat your apartment space as if it’s your own. Treat it with care and respect, and keep it clean. Throw your garbage properly. You wouldn’t want to invite pests in your apartment. Do not go on damaging the furniture or appliances because of neglect and abuse. Keep the place in its original condition before you move in. This will ensure that you will receive your security deposit in full once your contract ends.
DIY the small repairs.
Sure, your apartment’s maintenance is not your responsibility, but you don’t have to call on your landlord for every small stuff. The lightbulb in your kitchen needs to be changed? Do it. The batteries of the smoke detector in your apartment ran out? Change it. Reserve those calls to your landlord for more important and pressing stuffs. Your landlord will appreciate it.
Communication is key, but be reasonable with your requests.
If you see something wrong, let your landlord know immediately. Small problems, if left unsolved, can turn into something more damaging and more expensive to fix. So if there are pipes leaking, let your landlord know.
But be reasonable with your requests. If the problem is not damaging or life threatening, like you think the wallpaper is just way too ugly, just zip it. You can bring it up casually that you think it’s a bit outdated, but do not demand to have it changed.
Give prior notice if you need to end the contract earlier, or you wish to renew it.
If you’ll have to make a move before the contract ends, have the courtesy to let your landlord know. Most landlords will allow you to end a contract early if you’ll pay for the remaining months, or they can find a new tenant immediately. And if you wish to renew your contract when it ends, discuss it also with your landlord.
Like most relationships, good landlord-tenant relationship requires communication, respect and keeping your end of the bargain. It is not rocket science. Be nice, and be reasonable. That way, when your relationship needs to end, there will be no bad mouthing and no hard feelings.
The Lofts of Columbia offers upscale apartments in Columbia, MO.