What do you drive to your rental properties?

[Kazi R.]

I drive a very old sedan. Most of my tenants drive nicer cars than I do. Now that I am considering purchasing a new(er) car that probably will be nicer than theirs,  I am wondering whether to keep the old one to commute to rental properties or sell it. I heard and it makes sense that it's better to avoid driving a flashy car to rental properties, otherwise tenants may feel they are the ones who are paying for landlord's fancy car, therefore feeling less obligated to pay rent on time etc.  It's better to appear broke! So my question to my fellow landlords, what do you think should be done here? If you drive a nice car, do you maintain another not-so-nice one for rental properties? I would love to hear your take on this. Thanks.

[Jim K.]

Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:

Originally posted by @Jim K.:

This is still the same as it ever was. I don't know about A and B class housing. I don't own any of that, we're in low C-class housing. Our main vehicle is currently a slightly dinged-up 2015 Toyota RAV4. It does the job, but barely. When we got started, I had access to a friend's 2001 white-and-rust Honda Odyssey minivan. That was the BEST car ever for maintenance calls in the hood.

Never outdress, never outdrive, never outcrib your tenants. That's one of the chief rules of running a portfolio of C'class properties. You want to live it up? Vacation far away. That's what we do.

I think for the C class working mans rental portfolio I would choose a decent pick up truck.. new old would not matter.

I get a little nervous driving to nice of a car to meet my banker for lunch or show him a project..  they tend to be quite conservative on the cars.. 

No, Jay, that's not how it tends to work out in urban settings. Pickup truck comes with disadvantages. The bed's too high, they suck up gas, you can't lock your tools and spare parts in them unless you have a camper top on the back of the pickup, but then that limits you in other ways. The best combination is a well-aged crossover/minivan + utility trailer. The only downside to that rig is when you need to haul dirt, or demoed concrete, which is thankfully rare.

If you get big enough, I think a high-ceiling van like a ProMaster 3500 is the way to go, at least, that's my dream vehicle for this. You can rent the heavier-duty utility trailers when you need them.

[Jim K.]

Originally posted by @Mike Lee:

Good to see most are on the same page as myself. I own an older model sedan I use as a daily driver, and for purposes of my rentals they always see me in that car. A friend of mine who lives in Dallas has a brand new Tesla, which draws a lot of attention when pulling up to his college rentals, however he feels college students will see the car and "admire/look up to" him. Different strokes for different folks.

I take it you're aware your friend is more than a bit of a fool and he's going to end up with 100 pounds of concrete down a stack from a disgruntled young admirer of Karl Marx one day.

[Jim K.]

Originally posted by @Steve Vaughan:

I like minivans.  A 15 year old one with around 100k miles is only about $2k and I can haul most everyrhing with it and a small utility trailer.  Nothing flashy.

When we take my wife's little car to look at property or go to a meeting, we are conscious of it and park around the corner.  Nobody gives a rip most likely but we feel weird about it.  Seeing a bad handyman painter plumber in a convertible is probably a sight😎

One of the things my wife used to like to do was make copies of all the photos we took on vacation and take them to work with her to show the sick people she worked with, brighten their day. This became a problem when one of her co-workers ended up as one of our tenants and started blabbing about Barcelona and Jerusalem and Venice to her neighbors, who were also our tenants.

Now we lie about going on vacation. Among others, we have the cancer-boy cover story, that one of my wife's relatives from the old country is getting experimental chemo here in the States and we have to go visit him in Danbury, Connecticut and take care of him for three weeks. This actually happened with my own grandfather forty years ago and helps explain what we do with any extra income as well.

So much better than our tenants seeing me sweaty and grinning outside the Dome of the Rock.

[Mike Dymski]

My challenges involve finding enough profitable deal flow.  I like the concept of driving a beater to rentals but it's way down on my list of concerns.  I used to drag around an 8' ladder and, occasionally, a lawnmower in an Audi sedan (among many other tools and supplies)...whatever it takes sometimes.  We all have different portfolios and management situations though where it may matter more.

[Jay Hinrichs]

Originally posted by @Jim K.:

Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:

Originally posted by @Jim K.:

This is still the same as it ever was. I don't know about A and B class housing. I don't own any of that, we're in low C-class housing. Our main vehicle is currently a slightly dinged-up 2015 Toyota RAV4. It does the job, but barely. When we got started, I had access to a friend's 2001 white-and-rust Honda Odyssey minivan. That was the BEST car ever for maintenance calls in the hood.

Never outdress, never outdrive, never outcrib your tenants. That's one of the chief rules of running a portfolio of C'class properties. You want to live it up? Vacation far away. That's what we do.

I think for the C class working mans rental portfolio I would choose a decent pick up truck.. new old would not matter.

I get a little nervous driving to nice of a car to meet my banker for lunch or show him a project..  they tend to be quite conservative on the cars.. 

No, Jay, that's not how it tends to work out in urban settings. Pickup truck comes with disadvantages. The bed's too high, they suck up gas, you can't lock your tools and spare parts in them unless you have a camper top on the back of the pickup, but then that limits you in other ways. The best combination is a well-aged crossover/minivan + utility trailer. The only downside to that rig is when you need to haul dirt, or demoed concrete, which is thankfully rare.

If you get big enough, I think a high-ceiling van like a ProMaster 3500 is the way to go, at least, that's my dream vehicle for this. You can rent the heavier-duty utility trailers when you need them.

Ya i get the heavy duty van.  agree all our plumbers and electricians have those.. the carpenters tend to have the trucks with lock storage bins so they can haul lumber.. 

one thing i had when i was big into rehab.. and was really a good tool is a dual axel dump trailer with a hydraulic lift .. So the guys run it into the dump hit a button and it all slides out in 10 seconds I figured it paid for it self just in that time savings. 

I would go sprinter van with Diesel MB Diesel are indestructible.. I had one go over 350 thousand miles.. It was a sedan of course. :)  

[Alex K.]

Toyota Camry in the Streets of Detroit,,,,, now Im upgrading to a diesel Powerstroke king ranch since its getting cold and the Roads are just ridiculous here in Michigan 

[Adam Martin]

I drive a 2013 F150 personally and whenever I work on the rental, and rentals are a big reason I have a truck, that and I live in Ky so its kinda required most driveways have at least 1.  Just kidding on that last part but they are really common here.  I can haul whatever I need with plenty of space.  My wife drives an 09 Santa Fe and this is our incognito car if we ever need one.  The renters never see it but if we needed to do a sly drive by where I didn't want to be seen it is an option.  

[John Teachout]

I never think about what a tenant may think of a vehicle I show up in. Don't care and I can't imagine they do either. I drive the right vehicle for the task at hand. We have a 2008 HHR which is very flexible and meets our needs most of the time. Sometimes I drive a 2002 GMC crew cab pickup. Rarely do I drive our 2017 Chevy Cruze unless we're out and about doing errands. We bought all of these vehicles new, they all have high mileage but are reliable. We have 7 different trailers, six of which must be pulled by the truck. So, it all comes down to the right tool for the job. I'm too far down life's road to concern myself with what someone else thinks of my vehicle. (I should add we live on a dirt road and our vehicles reflect that)

[Syed H.]

Honestly, it doesn’t matter.

I personally drive a 2019 Honda. Mainly because I don’t like my employees in my other businesses seeing anything super nice and I hate dealing with unreliable cars for my DD. I just want it to work. No time to deal with things breaking.

But I know plenty of landlords with a lot more experience, units, and money than me that drive nice cars to their buildings etc. Don’t pull up in a Ferrari, but any Luxury crossover/suv isn’t going to get looked at twice either. & even if they do, so what. That’s their problem. 

[Sebastian Leit]

I think one should not worry about this issue with which car to drive to your rental properties. Even if its a more luxury car...that's your decision and one should not care what they are going to think about (and even if they do, that's their problem). It's just the behaviour one has, if one shows up with a very expensive car and want's them to see it (to show off), then that would be very inappropriate. 

[Adrian Smude]

I only have a 2010 decent shape Kia spectra so that’s what I drive. I personally don’t care to have a brand new car so it shouldn’t be an issue for me. But I do feel a little uncomfortable driving my wife’s 5 year old Honda Civic because it is very nice. I know some investors that have two vehicles. 

[Jim K.]

My opinion was formed circa 1999. I was living in a non-permitted basement apartment in Providence, RI on a graduate student's stipend. The doorbell rang, and there were the landlords at the door. No warning, no quiet enjoyment, they demanded a spot inspection. After going through the place, they climbed the steps up to the driveway, seated themselves in their BMW SUV, and drove off in style.

I hated them and tried to wish cancer into their organs and bones on the spot.

In low C'class, it matters what your tenants think of you and how much you flaunt your wealth in their faces. It matters a lot. Ugly things eventually happen to LLs who fail to understand this fundamental truth of renting to poor people.

Never outdress, never outdrive, never outcrib your tenants. You have been warned.

[Steven Caligaris]

I’ll play devils advocate here...

Would a crappy car signal to the tenant they shouldn’t have to worry about keeping their unit super clean because the landlord is in a raggedy car?

I’d assume it would be dependent on the status of your tenant and how well off they are doing too.

(I personally do not have a new car nor do I see the value in having one. I’d also be a little self conscious about showing up in a 50k+ car. But I thought I’d add my 2cents since most are saying tenants would perceive a nice car negatively.)

[Anthony Thompson]

It probably doesn't matter, but I probably wouldn't pull up to rental property in a super nice car, just to not give the tenants any ideas that "this guy has money, maybe next time it snows, I'll slip and fall and get some of that money for myself - after all I deserve it, and he clearly doesn't, he doesn't even have to work for his money" etc. etc. etc.

[Sylvia B.]

Originally posted by @Mike Lee:

Curious to get peoples thoughts in 2020 on this subject

Still driving the same vehicles we were 6 years ago - 2006 Honda CRV and a 2000 Chevy pickup (I mistakenly said it was a 1998). The CRV has 116k miles on it now, but still looks pretty good. The pickup is up to 110k, the paint is peeling off the hood, and it has several dents that weren't there before, but Hubby likes it, so I guess it'll stay in the family for a while.

I still don't give a second thought to what people think. We don't brag or flaunt what we have, but we don't hide who we are, either.

[Jim K.]

Originally posted by @Sylvia B.:

Originally posted by @Mike Lee:

Curious to get peoples thoughts in 2020 on this subject

Still driving the same vehicles we were 6 years ago - 2006 Honda CRV and a 2000 Chevy pickup (I mistakenly said it was a 1998). The CRV has 116k miles on it now, but still looks pretty good. The pickup is up to 110k, the paint is peeling off the hood, and it has several dents that weren't there before, but Hubby likes it, so I guess it'll stay in the family for a while.

I still don't give a second thought to what people think. We don't brag or flaunt what we have, but we don't hide who we are, either.

WE HIDE WITH PRIDE. With our class of rentals, if we didn't there might be random Purge activity up at our place once a month or so. I believe in the man-stopping capabilities of my Norma monolithic hollowpoints. I believe in 12-gauge buckshot. I believe in the capability of the police to maintain law and order. I do not have the same faith in these things that a priest has in Christ.

[Mary M.]

I own class B MF mid rise bldgs. My tenants tend to be young professionals. 

My tenants all know I am the owner. I feel being honest is a two way street and dishonesty is not a practice I support. 

As for vehicle - i have a VW TDI. 

[Jean Joseph]

@Kazi R.

Im an out of state investor. When in town i drive the cheapest fuel economy vehicle in the rental lot. Feels good about it knowing i can get a convertible if i want to.

Back in town(home). I drive an 2003 Honda civic 200+ miles on it and still pushing 🙏🏿🤗

[Zachary Ray]

Very interesting post to say the least. Their perception doesn't change the fact that a contract is signed and rent is due. 

[Jose Lopez]

@Kazi R. 2001 Beat up 2001 Honda Civic with one hubcap and 200k miles.

[Brian Ploszay]

I never drive my nice car to properties.  Usually in business, you want to signal success.  In landlording, you want to hide it.  

For the hands on landlord, getting a truck or van is the way to go.

[Theodore Kontos]

@Kazi R.

Had a 2010 Honda Insight with 250k miles for First 40 properties. That thing fit everything. Now 2017 Honda ridgeline truck. Or 2018 Honda clarity. Good for another 10 years now.

[Nic S.]

I live out of state so I usually take the 737 Boeing and a rental car :).

[Matt Nico]

@Kazi R.

Kazi i drive a bright orange camaro around. Nobody ever says a thing to me. As long as you arent buying a Lambo i think your good.

[James Hamling]

Originally posted by @Nic S.:

I live out of state so I usually take the 737 Boeing and a rental car :).

 Lol, I was thinking the same thing, what are the last few rentals I selected, lol.