In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we asked landlords what makes them love their tenants. Here’s what we\u00a0found out:<\/p>\n
Make a good first impression\/\/ <\/strong>Fill out your application completely and be on time if you have a tour scheduled. This is going to set the tone for your entire experience at your potential new place.<\/p>\n Keep your lease\/\/<\/strong> That way you won\u2019t have to call every time you have a question. FYI: Landlords also love it when you actually read through the whole lease, so they aren’t dropping any surprising news when they have to enforce it.<\/p>\n Talk to your neighbors\/\/<\/strong>\u00a0Instead of calling every time your neighbor plays loud music, landlords appreciate when you have a civil adult conversation with the person keeping you up at night. If that doesn’t work, you should definitely let the landlord know. You might be surprised at how far a little communication goes when it comes to noise problems though.<\/p>\n Leave an extra set of keys with a friend\/\/ <\/strong>Oops, it’s 3 a.m. and you can’t find your keys. The lockout phone call is one that a landlord dreads, some even charge fees each time they have to come rescue you. Leaving a spare set with a friend that lives nearby means you won’t ever have to make that call.<\/p>\n Act like you own it\/\/ Take care of your rental like it’s your own property.<\/strong>\u00a0Not only will this help you get you deposit back, but your landlord appreciates not having to patch holes every time someone leaves.<\/p>\n …but not when it comes to major changes\/\/ <\/strong>One exception to the last rule: don’t do any major renovations! Treat it like you own it, but always remember that you don’t.<\/p>\n Pay your rent on time\/\/ <\/strong>Contrary to what it may seem like, landlords don’t actually like charging late fees. Most landlords will give good tenants a one-time pass on a late payment, but try not to make it a habit.<\/p>\n Give advance warning if you move out\/\/<\/strong> In most cases, landlords ask for a 30-day notice before you move out. This helps them ensure they have someone to fill your spot. If you have a special circumstance, like your job transferred to a new state, talk to you landlord ASAP and let them know you have to break your lease. They might be willing to work with you.<\/p>\n Ask questions\/\/ <\/strong>Before you do anything that will permanently alter your living space, ask. If you don’t see a pet policy in your lease and want a cat, ask. Keeping the lines of communication open will go a long way in your quest to make your landlord love you.<\/p>\n Be smart about bargaining\/\/<\/strong>\u00a0Landlords want to keep good tenants. That means you have a little bit of room to bargain if rent goes up or you want to upgrade your rental. Before setting up a meeting or call with your landlord, decide what you’re willing to do and present it in a well thought-out way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we asked landlords what makes them love their tenants. Here’s what we\u00a0found out: Make a good first impression\/\/ Fill out your application completely and be on time if you have a tour scheduled. This is going to set the tone for your entire experience at your potential new place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[57,39,23,53],"class_list":["post-582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renting-101","tag-rentler-top-picks","tag-tenant-tips","tag-tenants","tag-valentines-day"],"yoast_head":"\n