For Landlords

Landlord Lenience: Are You Too Soft on Your Tenants?

Managing a good relationship between landlords and tenants isn’t always easy. When things go well, landlords can have tenants who stay for a long time, pay rent on schedule, and treat each other with respect. But sometimes, in trying to be kind and understanding, landlords might wonder: “Am I being too soft with my tenants?” If you’ve ever thought this, you’re probably not the only one. Many landlords face the challenge of being fair without feeling like they’re getting walked over.

People can slip or slowly feel less responsible so it’s important to stay firm to make sure they continuously pay rent on time and follow the rules. Or else, you might end up like one of our landlords and their privileged tenants.

No Day for Payday

An engineering couple rents out a unit in Puchong for RM1500 a month– sounds innocent enough. They were on friendly terms with the landlord until they started to think that she would let them get away with anything if they were nice about it.

Fast forward and 6 months of unpaid rent, the tenants continuously ignored the eviction notices that we put up when SPEEDHOME stepped in. After confronting them through a discussion in our offices, they pleaded and gave assurances to the landlord that they will pay back the money ‘by hook or by crook!’ Even if they did pay the outstanding balance, they would still have to vacate the premises due to a breach in the tenancy agreement.

The landlord held on hope that they would keep their word, but no luck. Every single missed payment would be followed by an excuse and a ‘please,’ and the landlord was nice enough to keep giving them more chances than they had deserved. The tenants paid 3 months worth of rent and still refused to leave.

So extreme times call for extreme measures. SPEEDHOME had to put our foot down in order to find our landlord brand new, responsible tenants. The building management notified to help take action. The tenants ignored the front door and continued living in the unit by entering through the balcony. All the while they claimed they were staying elsewhere to recoup their money. 

When SPEEDHOME inspected their unit, we found a lack of evidence that the tenants were struggling with money. This included a collection of sneakers near the door and fridge magnets from overseas travel.

The only thing that forced them to leave the unit? Social pressure. The neighbours probably witnessed their ordeal, breaking into their own home and the SPEEDHOME teams sent to investigate the premises between notices. The shame and embarrassment may have compelled the tenants to return the unit and move out. We performed a move out inspection and accommodated new tenants into the unit.

This story demonstrates a weakness in the legislation surrounding landlord and tenant rights without immediately resorting to legal action. So for a landlord to go through an eviction process, it requires perseverance and insistence. However, you are better off avoiding the situation in the first place by taking precautions and acting on early warning signs.


The Fine Line Between Understanding and Leniency

Every landlord wishes to be understanding. Life has its ups and downs, and occasionally tenants may face challenges. However, there’s a difference between being supportive during a tenant’s one-time hardship and enabling a habitual pattern of late payments or other contractual breaches.

This same oversight can lead tenants to take the rules more lightly, potentially causing issues in the future.

How do you recognize if you’re being too lenient? Here are some signs:

  • Consistent Late Payments: If your tenant is frequently late with rent without a valid reason, and you continually overlook it, you may be too soft.
  • Repeated Rule Violations: If your tenant consistently breaks house rules (e.g., smoking indoors when it’s prohibited) and faces no consequences, it’s a red flag.
  • Overstepping Boundaries: Regular unannounced visits or constant unnecessary demands can indicate that a tenant has become too comfortable with your accommodating nature.

Conclusion

Being compassionate and understanding is a commendable trait for any landlord. However, it’s essential to ensure that compassion doesn’t lead to consistent boundary violations. By finding the right balance, you can foster a positive landlord-tenant relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. Remember, it’s not about being hard or soft, but rather about being fair and consistent.

In any case, just hope that you won’t encounter any tenants who would jump to their balcony just to stay in your unit.

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