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Because the more time I have to show a property, the more prospective tenants I can select from, and the greater the chance that I will find a GOOD one in the bunch. One that won't trash my place, and who will pay their rent on time is a lot less hassle than someone who is going to cause thousands of dollars of damage, pay late, and skip out on the last couple months of rent.
If I know a tenant is moving, it's just plain stupid to sit around and wait for the place to be vacated before taking care of business and lining up the next tenant.
I see your point RoaminRed, and this policy is good for the manager/owner. But its a pain for the renter, an invasion of privacy, and I will lose time at work to be present for the showings. Therefore, I still do not like this practice.
Now that we have settled our differences RoaminRed, I would like to move on to the point of the thread and find out if this is a common practice throughout the U.S., as this may persuade/dissuade me from renting again.
It's common practice, and perfectly legal, for any property manager to show your apartment after you've given your written notice to vacate. They're just required to give you 24 hour notice first. This gives them the opportunity to rent it out as soon as possible.
Why do they come ...Kinda dumb since when 1 tenant moves the place needs cleaned & repair & painted anyway...so why not wait till last tennant is gone...then show it!
How many of you renters who are not renewing your lease, have property managers that show your apartment before you leave?
My manager does this, and I don't like it. Its an invasion of my privacy, and I don't like the idea of strangers looking at all my life's belongings. perhaps, said stranger will see my TV and come back for a robbery?
I don't think this practice is fair to the tenant due to privacy concerns, but I also don't think its fair to potential tenants as they can't see the apartment when it is covered with other peoples crap.
When I was looking for my present apartment, I looked at one place that had every single surface covered with toys, garbage, clothes, and dirty dishes.
My previous town did not do this. However, ALL the managers in my present town does.
As part of your lease agreement, the Landlord is able to show the property under normal business hours. Now, he shouldn't show the place on Sunday morning at 7AM.
However, when you leave, the landlord must rent his property out to avoid losing financially.
It's common practice across the country with the property managers I know. Large apartment complexes can avoid it by showing similar units or staged units, but even then, a prudent applicant will want to see the exact unit they will be occupying.
So, another way to ask your question is, are you willing to rent an apartment without first seeing the inside?
If not, why not? Isn't the privacy of the current occupant important to you? Or do you limit your rental search to vacant units that you're willing to occupy within 2 weeks, based on the privacy principle?
Like a lot of tenants, your argument against the practice is strictly an emotional one. It's about your feelings, not the agreement you signed. So, while I'll agree that the practice is, in the end, all about money for me, you have to admit that for you, it's all about your feelings.
Sorry, but I'm a landlord, not a therapist. I'm not foregoing a month's rent so you can avoid feeling unhappy about honoring an agreement you made.
are you willing to rent an apartment without first seeing the inside?
No, I must see the inside; however, not if it is covered with other peoples belongings. And yes the current tenants privacy is a concern of mine. But more so, furniture, and other belongings hide possible damage or defects. I prefer to see an EMPTY apartment so a I can better judge if the place is right for me. Unfortunately greedy owners/managers such as yourself make this impossible.
I have turned down apartments I've looked at because I was not able to fully evaluate the property. In this case, this practice backfired on the owner/manager.
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Originally Posted by austin-steve
you have to admit that for you, it's all about your feelings.
Actually its about (1) my feelings (invasion of privacy) (2) the money, as I have to leave work to be home for the showings and (3) concerns that the potential purchaser may see something of mine that he must have and steel it, or worse burglarize my place.
In this case, this practice backfired on the owner/manager.
How did it backfire? Under your policy, nobody would have seen the apartment anyway, and thus it have a 100% chance of remaining unrented until move-out. Also, the landlord may have rented it to someone else the next day and you don't know about it.
Quote:
Actually its about (1) my feelings (invasion of privacy) (2) the money, as I have to leave work to be home for the showings
Hmm, so you get to care about money, but the landlord's money concerns make him greedy. What adjective characterizes your particular money concerns.
You don't have to be home. Again, that's a fear-based emotional requirement that you place upon yourself.
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and (3) concerns that the potential purchaser may see something of mine that he must have and steel it, or worse burglarize my place.
Again, your projecting a fear that isn't supported by data or fact. I've marketed occupied homes for many years and have never, not once, had anything disturbed or taken from a tenant's home. You can simply put your stuff away if you're worried. Yes, I'm sure it's happened somewhere at some time, to somebody. But you're statistically more likely to get killed in a car accident traveling from and back to work to be present during the showing.
Granted, I come from my world and you come from yours. We just simply never encounter the sort of things that worry you. We use secure, computerized lockboxes for leasing (the same ones we use for sales) that tell us who opened the box and when.
Based on my experience in this business, I know all your hand wringing and worry is needless. Nobody wants to take your stuff. You don't need to leave work to let your place be shown. You're probably causing it to take longer to rent by being less cooperative, so you prolong your misery. If you tidy up, make your bed, do the dishes, and vacuum before you leave for work each day, it would probably rent within 3 showings and the process would be over. That's what we tell our tenants and they're happy to help shorten the process. It's a win/win when you help the landlord instead of putting on the grudging victim hat.
I said this to RoaminRed, and now I will say it to you Steve
I see your point Steve, and this policy is good for the manager/owner. But its a pain for the renter, an invasion of privacy, and I will lose time at work to be present for the showings. Therefore, I still do not like this practice.
Now that we have settled our differences Steve, I would like to move on to the point of the thread and find out if this is a common practice throughout the U.S., as this may persuade/dissuade me from renting again.
Why do they come ...Kinda dumb since when 1 tenant moves the place needs cleaned & repair & painted anyway...so why not wait till last tennant is gone...then show it!
Because the current tenant has to be out by noon on the last day of the month and the new tenant moves in the very next day. Landlords need those few hours to get the apartment repainted and recarpeted (if necessary). If not recarpeted, then the carpet gets shampooed. They can't do all of that AND show the apartment at the same time.
I don't understand all the fuss. This is a very normal, legal process and hardly inconvenient. It's not like the prospective tenant goes into your apartment alone and rummages through your things. They go in with property management and take two minutes to see the place and then leave.
The landlord needs to be able to show the apartment during your notice to vacate so they have the chance to rent the apartment to keep income coming in. Otherwise, they have an empty unit sitting there for a month.
So showing others how messy my move is is going to inpress others to rent.....Wading thru boxes ect...helps to rent the place??
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