A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management Orange County California
Threading the Needle
As a Property Manager,
sometimes it feels like I have to thread the needle when it comes to what a
Tenant wants, and what a Tenant needs. Many times, when I get requests from a
Tenant, I may think that the request is reasonable, but then I have to weigh
that, with, is the request required.
That may sound strange.
You may say that if the request is reasonable, then the request should be
honored. I understand that way of thinking. We all want to live in the best
house we can, with all the amenities and all the aesthetics available. But as
every homeowner knows, the things we want are not always financially possible.
The same goes for
Owners of investment properties. Every Investment property owner wants to have
a beautiful updated home. Not only will you be proud of the home, you would in
most instances be able to get more money, when you rent the home. But just as
with personal residents, Investment properties cannot always be upgraded the
way we would like.
Weighing the issue
Let’s go back to my
small dilemma, of weighing what is a reasonable request from a Tenant, and what
is really necessary. As a Property Manager, I want my Tenants to be very happy
with the home they live in. I want them to be able to use that property to be
able to fulfill their needs, and be able to do that is a pleasant and safe
manner. I also understand that the property owner hires me to not only make
sure that the Tenant is happy and the property is maintained, but also to make
the necessary decisions as to what expenditures are necessary and what are not.
Let me give you a
couple of examples.
I have a property that
is an older property and is not highly updated. Everything work fine in the
property, but not everything is new, in fact some of the things in the property
are old. The owner understands that, and keeps the rent low. I also understand
both issues, but because the property is old, I keep my eye on things making
sure things are safe and when I get a request for a new Range, I take that very
seriously. In that situation, even if I think the range can be fixed and extend
the life of the Range, I would probable replace the range to be safe. In this
case, I Take in consideration the age of the property and the age of the range
and make the decision to upgrade.
I have another Property
that is very nice with relatively new appliances and has been remolded a few
years ago. The current Tenants lease was coming up and they said they wanted to
stay, but would like the carpet in the living room to be replaced. They felt
the carpet was old and the color was not to their liking. I understood their
request, and quite frankly, I think it was reasonable. In this case, I denied
their request, because I felt the carpet, though coming to the end of its
useful life, still had some usefulness left and I was not ready to replace it.
Two reasonable
requests, two different outcomes. Even though I agreed with both requests, one
had a safety aspect to it, and one did not. In weighing requests, I always take
the safety issues very seriously and aesthetic issues are cost issues.
Obviously, when I deny
requests that are reasonable, it can create anger. Usually that goes away with
time, but sometimes it damages the Tenant, Property Manager Relationship, but
that is part of the job.
Let’s go back to the
carpet situation. I do take one other thing into consideration, with aesthetic
issues. If I think that a Tenant may not renew a lease because of that issue,
my decision may go the other way. It would depend on the cost of the upgrade
and the cost of losing the Tenant. If I think that I could rent the property
quickly with little impact on the property owner’s bottom line, I probable
still deny the request, but if I think that the owner may lose more money, with the Tenants moving out, then
the upgrade would cost, then I would honor the request.
In making decisions, I
have to always look at what is best for my client, the owner of the property.
Keeping a property safe, benefits my client. Upgrading the property, benefits my
client, but only when the time is right
If you have any
questions, you can contact me any time
Tony Cantelmo
714-313-7413
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Specializes in Property Management Orange County Ca.