College Student Rentals: Parents are worse than the Students!

[Will Gaston]

All:

I have a large college student rental property business (~150 students that rent from me) and have been buying houses/apartments and renting to college students for 12 years.

Despite all the nightmares you've heard about renting to college students, the worst part is dealing with their parents. They can be absolutely insufferable. 

They rarely get the correct story right from their child about anything. And communicating with 1 child and 2 parents can be a impossible, especially when renting to large groups of friends. Some of my duplexes hold 6 students. That means 6 kids + 12 parents could possibly contact me over one property. 18 decision makers for ONE property. 

I finally said enough was enough 3 years ago. I refused to deal with parents anymore. We do not require co-signers on our properties and have been paid 100% in full on all of the leases. 

I have eliminated most of the parent issues but they still always seem to creep up so I go over my policies and procedures with my new tenants at a 90 minute meeting BEFORE they sign the lease. They all sign and agree and nod their heads. Three months later the parents still call, email, and text. My assistant and I politely, but firmly, tell them that we will not discuss the lease, house, payments etc. with anybody that is not on the lease.

"But I'm the one paying for it!" they all say. They get infuriated that they're not in control of the situations and then threats, insults, etc begin when I again refuse.

My question is this. Is it against property management laws for me to discuss a lease/contract with a parent when they are not on the lease?

I think that may be the only way that I can slow down the calls. Anybody else have any other suggestions? 

[Colleen F.]

I do student rentals too and we do get emails from parents but they are co-signers.  I think your idea is a good one. The best thing to do is lay it out at lease signing.  I will talk to you only, not your parent, your girlfriend etc. lay out that this is a grownup relationship, they need to manage it.   I can tell you that in my personal experience with my own kids,  since the day they turned 18,   I have had lawyers,  medical personel, probation officer, School administration, bursars office etc say I can't talk to you without the kids permission regardless of who they will go after for the bill.  Now if you get the kid on the line or the kid gives permission they will talk to you this is where the hole is for your plan.  I would say you are on solid ground referring to privacy and saying no otherwise but I am not  a lawyer.

For my student rentals if a parent is in the room with the student I am happy to answer questions from them too but ongoing communications are supposed to be from students. Its an expectation not a rule.  The times I am glad to have the parent contact me is when they have information the student failed to share.   One parent said what is wrong with the heat they have a $1000 electric bill and I let them know I would look into it, come to find out the kids weren't paying the bill.  You could  make it policy that you will talk to the parent only if the tenant is present/on the line. Makes it a little tougher then just tossing the issue to Mom or Dad by letting the kid sign a form.