So, it’s here. The day has finally come where you are in charge of the building. You are the landlord. And, your first task is to collect your tenant’s information. You need to be able to contact them.
The first and most important thing to remember is that you must smile. Always, always smile.
Worry not, for collecting information from tenants is quick and easy, usually. You are in charge, and you must remember this. Do not forget that you are the boss. That being said, don’t be a jerk either. Be firm, fair, and friendly. Do not forget these three Fs.
Fill your voice with confidence and stand up straight. If you lack either of these qualities, you will be stamped upon in the landlording business. Tenants will take advantage of you and treat you with no respect if they see that you are a coward. If you are a coward, then fake it.
Your tenants will like and respect you if you appear to know what you are doing. Having everything under control, or at least, appearing to have everything under control, is one of your most valuable assets. Also, remember to smile!
Just ask them for their information, that’s all. Occasionally, you’ll have a tenant who seems suspicious at your asking their information. Gently explain to them the reasons why you need it.
When you ask for their cell phone number, explain kindly that you may need to contact them in the event of an emergency, such as a burglar or a fire.
Tell them that you need their social security numbers so that you can tell the credit agencies about their on-time payments. This helps you, too, because you will wan to check their credit. You must check their reliability. Be sure to smile, too.
You can always tell suspicious tenants that the information is safe with you, and that you will do everything you can to keep their information confidential. You must not share or sell their information to anyone.
If you just cannot get the information out of them, forget it. It is not worth fighting with them.
Get their information from elsewhere; ask the previous landlord, check with the city, etc. You will be able to gather the rest of their information without much effort from other sources.
Once you have all their information, store it away in a safe place. That was pretty easy, right?
Cody Scholberg, an expert on landlording, writes for the Commercial Property Management Guide, an excellent source of landlording information. Check out this checklist for commercial property management.
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Topics: Real Estate, leadership, self improvement, small business