What's the one thing that would make everything else easier?

Question

Hi,

I'm a software engineer from Amsterdam, I've rented a couple flats and rooms and (seemingly) landlords spend a lot of time with things that could be done more easily, like scheduling maintenance, upstream billing, downstream collecting, storing and comparing applicant data, etc.

I saw a couple products out there and I was thinking if there's something missing, so I was wondering, what could be done better, what are the things you guys have to do all the time, do you see how could it be done better?

- Dani

for example: a chatbot for whatsapp for scheduling maintenance with tenants and connect them directly with the maintenance guys, only talk to the landlord when some large amount of repair needs approval and such

Frank Chin · Answer

Depends on the type of tenant you have.

Maintenance is one big issue. How they handle it is depends more on the background of the tenant. Give you some examples:

1. Tenants are told they handle small repairs under $100.00 under the lease. Loose hinges and doorknobs fall under this category. I have one tenant who knows that, say  "yes I know" when he calls about little things, but his doorknob came loose, ask me to bring by a screwdriver, says he doesn't own any. I'm 30 minutes away and have to bring over screwdrivers for him.

2. Small repairs means there's a small leak under the sink, they handle it. One tenant called about it, told him he has to handle it. He did, didn't call me any more. Rented the place several years and found his way of handling it is a pail under the sink, and I can see from damages to the cabinet came about when he forgot to empty the pail.

3. Another small repair that tenants figure they don't have to bother me was a 3rd floor tenant, noticed some leaks where the toilet meets the floor. Thinks, no big deal, I'll mop it up, the landlord doesn't like it if I call too much. Months went by, leak got larger, calls me, says maybe I should take a look. I called a plumber and he said the gasket under the toilet should be changed, asks if I had heavy tenants. I said yes, the man is over 300 lbs. He told me usually when the gasket gets old, a heavy man squirms on it, the gasket gets squished, and it leaks. Then he asks, "did it leak downstairs". I said I don't know, I'll check, then called the 2nd floor tenant and asks if he noticed any leaks. The answer is "yes, I see water leaking from the medicine cabinet, didn't think it was a big deal". Called my plumber back, he says "oh my, I think water seeped into the walls and you got to have it fixed right away, starting for the toilet gasket".

The issue I see is you sometimes get what you wish for, tenants don't want to bother you if they feel you don't want to be bothered, or annoyed. With the issues above, even if you do annual inspections, you'll won't notice. Like in the case of the leaking toilet, two tenants don't want to bother me and if the interior walls are soaked with water, it could lead to structural damage. Over time, you'll get mold.

The answer is I rent to older blue collar tenants. I say blue collar since it's unlikely they don't own screw drivers. I say older because they have more common sense. Two young roommates rent the apartment where water was leaking from the medicine cabinet. To an older guy, common sense says something doesn't seem right. To these young guys, they're out partying, so some water leaking out of medicine cabinets is just a small thing they'll get to some day. But the 3rd floor guy should of said something earlier than mopping up the bathroom.

But one other fact remains. If I was your tenant talking to you, I'll get the sense you don't want to be bothered. So if I have a leak under the sink, I buy a pail. Leak under the toilet, I'll mop it. Water coming out of the medicine cabinet, I shrug and say, "the landlord will get upset if I call him". What I do is keep it friendly with tenants, so they don't have the jitters thinking about calling me. Also, tenants don't know if something is a big issue or small issue. Turns out the leak under the toilet and water coining out of the medicine cabinet was related, was a big issue, no one said anything because they thought it was nothing.

Either you or a good PM should handle these issues, not the tenants or let them decide.

The other issue about using software and high tech gadgets like digital locks. I know and I read reports on older, unsophisticated tenant had issues with the new technology. One condo complex want high tech, and the owners had to give them the option of old fashion locks with keys. Most jurisdictions also make it possible to pay rent in person by check if need be. I had one tenant that I collect rent electronically, but constantly had insufficient funds that they dropped him.

Ned Carey · Answer

@Daniel Gulyas I see it is your first post. Welcome to BP.  I can't think of anything that technology would help me with. Good reliable contractors and employees would make a lot of things easier.

Marc Winter · Answer

@Frank Chin, we have a clause in our lease stating "no twerking on the toilet".

@Daniel Gulyas, software works great for things that are mainly logical, somewhat predictable, and only occasionally out of whack.  That would preclude working with the majority of species 'tenant irregularis'.  Bless their hearts, those lil rascals.

Frank Chin · Answer

I agree maintenance cannot be process-ified because sometimes it's not a maintenance problem. I was a system analyst, IT guy and programmer for a while.

In one case, I had a complaint that water was leaking from upstairs. I had a plumber go by take a look, can't find any leaks. So I paid him for his time, about $100. A month later, got another call, again water leaking from above, called the plumber again. Same result, paid the plumber again. When I got my third call, figured I go take a look myself. I went to the floor where the leak originated the next morning, inspected the bathroom, they just took a shower, and the floor was all wet. The bathroom vanity was slightly tilted. Then I look over to the shower curtain and called over to the tenants, asked them, "when you took your shower, was the shower curtain inside the tub, or outside". There were 2 roommates, and both said "outside". I explained shower curtains should be inside to keep water flowing into the tub, and pulled all the way". These guys, both with MBA degrees, one a highly paid trader with Goldman Sachs said "ohhhhh, we didn't know that, we always had shower doors".

From the inspection, the bathroom vanity had to be replaced. Was made from particle board which disintegrates when in prolonged conflict with water. The plumbers came looking for leaks, didn't find any. I went further, noticed the shower curtains and how it was positioned. Originally, plumbers told me there would have to open the walls to see where the water leak was, and it would have cost a fortune to hire handyman or contractors to then patch the holes. I had to patch a hole in a bathroom ceiling at some previously leak, local handyman has a minimum daily charge of $300. Took a day off from work to patch the hole. If it's six inches wide or more, can't stuff newspapers in and patch, you need to cut the hole larger, a square hole, insert a small piece of sheetrock the same size, with a 1 by 2 behind it to secure it, then spackle. A contractor taught me that, how to patch small holes. I had to make another trip to spackle again and paint the bathroom ceiling.

So instead of knocking holes, patching them, which was not the problem, I instead had a new vanity installed, not made with particle board, but wood, and with rubber underneath to raise it slightly above the floor. I did not charge the tenants as the bathrooms were more than 30 years old as I didn't accuse my other tenant with the toilet leak twerking on the toilet. The repairs were a few hundred dollars each, and as landlord, sometimes I have to recognize the tenants patience especially if you own older properties. If the tenants get pissed off, leaves, a month vacancy would cost me more.

As to Steve Vaughn's comments about spending $3.00 on screwdrivers and give them to the tenants, be careful, as I done some of that. I keep a small cabinet in a storeroom that tenants can access and placed my screwdriver set, and also lightbulbs for the common area when they burn out. They have a habit of borrowing things and not replacing it. One even complained that I should get higher wattage bulbs as he borrowed them in his bedroom and 60 watts is too low for reading.

As for real estate software, I used QuickBooks for bookkeeping, that's about it, and I've been doing it for 40 years.

Steve Vaughan · Answer

Software is not my need, either, unless it has a lie detector test for smokers.  How much do you smoke usually gets a more accurate response f9r me than do you smoke.

Maybe if your maintenance software asks additional questions to narrow down the problem vs just report it.  My sink, stove, heater, etc is broke doesn't help me.  Get specifics.

Mostly wanted to comment as to askng tenants to do small repairs under $100. I can usually walk them through a tweak to the stove burner or leaking dra8n trap, but they need guidance. If not having a screwdriver is the problem, leave a 4 in  on the property.  They're like $3.

Anyway, telling a tenant to 'handle' it is what you ended up with.  Damage.  Happy Holidays.

Daniel Gulyas · Answer

Wow, thanks for all the answers everybody!

This is a lot more complicated than it seemed like from my (tenant) PoV, maybe maintenance is not something that can be "process-ified" like that, in either way.

I hope i can get some value back to you guys, here is a list of real estate software that I looked at before I asked, there's especially a lot in the US market, maybe you can find something there that makes your life easier? :^)

Frank Chin · Answer

LOL, how can I prove the tenant is twerking? His wife is also heavy. The house at that point was over 50 years old and my plumber tells me the gasket looks like it's been there from day one when he replaced it.

I watch all these court shows and if I charge this back to the tenant, due to the tenant twerking, Judge Judy would give me the evil eye and demand I PROVE it.

In the crazy market in NYC, where duplexes and triplexes appreciate $50K and $100K on some years, proving a tenant twerking is the least of my worries.

What's the one thing that would make everything else easier?

Most Popular Reply