Prefer to rent from owner

[Rick Bassett]

I've been renting houses for some time now and I'm always taken back by the comment "I prefer to rent from an owner/landlord directly" from prospective tenants. 

My inclination is that this is a red flag as it immediately has me wondering if they are a problem tenant who thinks that they can get one over on an owner/landlord.

 Any words of wisdom  from the seasoned landlords out there?

Rick

[Marcia Maynard]

Originally posted by @Rick Bassett:

I've been renting houses for some time now and I'm always taken back by the comment "I prefer to rent from an owner/landlord directly" from prospective tenants. 

My inclination is that this is a red flag as it immediately has me wondering if they are a problem tenant who thinks that they can get one over on an owner/landlord.

 Any words of wisdom  from the seasoned landlords out there?

Rick

It's not a red flag for me. There are many large management companies that do not serve tenants well and do not provide the personal touch that some tenants want in a landlord-tenant relationship. Although, there are some good management companies that do provide their tenants with good service. Some good long-term tenants like the stability of working with owners instead of dealing with a variety of people and the changes that occur with personnel turnover at a management company. Management companies are less likely to be flexible in some situations or willing to negotiate terms. 

For me, it's all about establishing and maintaining a good landlord-tenant relationship and that's easier to do without another person/company in-between. I value local ownership and the contributions many local owners provide to the community, for the greater good. Large corporations and out-of-state investors, in general, seem to take more from our local community than they give.

However, if a prospective tenant said "I prefer to rent from an owner/landlord directly"... and in 20 years I can't recall a prospective renter saying that to me... I would most likely ask them "Oh really.... why?" and then listen to what they say.