Why is it important to tenants whether or not you own the place?

[Brett Sayers]

I’m consistently asked if I am a “private” landlord, or whether or not I own the property. While I never volunteer the information, I don’t lie when asked.

Why is it important to tenants to know if I own the place or not?

Should I not tell them I own the home?

Is there something I am missing?

[Jim K.]

If I had a landlord who pretended he was just the property manager and told me all the time that he couldn't do squat because he had no executive decision-making power regarding his own rental...and then I found out he was lying to me, I would have zero respect for this man, zero respect for his property, and I would not even try to deal fairly with him from that point on. He would be crap under my shoes as far as I was concerned.

I read some of these mincing-cutesy strategies and I wonder how few of you had fathers who taught you how to play a man's part in this world.