Do you balance customer service with enforcement?

[Jack B.]

We've all read the thread 'Tenant applicants say the dumbest things'. Stay in the business long enough and you come across some real "winners" as they say.

So how do you balance being polite and being an enforcer so to speak? For example, I've had some real inept tenants that try to tell me the sink is leaking under the cabinet and that water is everywhere. When I ask for a pic, they say there is nothing to take a pic of. After much back and forth coaxing them, the tenant finally sends me a pic and it becomes really clear why there is a leak and why they didn't want to send a pic; she replaced the faucet herself (against the lease, and bought a white faucet for a stainless sink...) and in the process didn't put it together right and caused a massive leak. To top it off, she lied and tried to get me to fix her mess at her expense.

You can imagine I was not a happy camper. Then there are people who try to claim that guy is not living here and that they didn't damage x y or z, despite there being pics before move in that clearly show it was not damaged (Date, time and gps stamped pics). Yet these winners always want to argue. When they get really argumentative I just give them notice since they are on a month to month. Usually I give them a warning first. But second strike I just ask them to move.

I ask because I came across a thread on another forum where the guy was complaining about the usual crap you deal with when dealing with tenants and tenant applicants. He was stating that he has gotten to the point where he just has to hang up on people, etc. An experience I've had myself a few times. 

So how do you balance service with enforcement? At a traditional business poor service would result in them eventually closing their doors. With rental real estate it seems there is more leeway for being a bit more aggressive in asserting how things are going to work. For example, that guy you claim is just your friend is clearly living here. I don't care if you claim he is not. Unless you can provide definitive proof otherwise, I decide you get fined per the lease or you move. 

I'm basically at the point where I start out nice, but when it becomes clear they are a liar and a person with below average intelligence and keep trying to push their agenda down my throat, I basically state here are the facts, they speak for themselves, there will not be any more debate and that if they wish to continue their tenancy they need to x, y and z. 

Being a landlord is a tad different than a traditional business, where the above would be considered poor service.