Tenant asking for personal favors

[Alexandra Joy]

This is my first rental property I am managing myself.  I have had one before but had a PM.  In this case, the rental is next door so my tenant is also my next door neighbor.  I am finding it complicates the relationship because I want to be friendly and neighborly yet also need to set boundaries as I know landlords need to be firm sometimes.  But I think I have been very responsive to her requests thus far and have been polite and professionally friendly.

The other night she texted me in the evening and asked me if I would print a document out for her from a USB drive.  I was kind of taken a back about this and didn't reply until several hours later (politely told her I am sorry that I can't help with that).  I was thinking to myself that is a personal favor, and has nothing to do with my responsibility as a landlord and I was shocked she would think it was appropriate to ask.  Also it's just unwise to put any unknown USB into one's computer.

Maybe I am being a jerk and should be more willing to help out with non landlord duties?  Am I overreacting or would you have found her request inappropriate as well?  

[Lynn McGeein]

@Alexandra Joy I think the fact that you’re also the landlord may make you more sensitive to the request. I’ve had neighbors ask if I can print something when their printer didn’t work, drop them off to pick up a car they left at a local bar if it’s on my way, water plants, etc. It’s fine to simply decline, even if you just want to avoid a more neighborly relationship with your tenant, but I’d see it as more of a neighborly ask on tenant’s part, not because you’re also the landlord.