You might be asking yourself what Seth Godin’s blog post has to do with saying “Happy Holidays.”  I might be asking myself the same question in your shoes, so let me explain.

(Warning: stop reading here if you don’t want to know.)

There is an assumed culture of genuineness developing – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, other online communities, review sites, and more. There is a growing level of transparency because people can talk about you on the Internet . . . whenever they like.  Influence of business and personal reputation has shifted into the hands of the “beholder” – we no longer have as much control over the public perception of ourselves or our business. Along this journey towards transparency, we’ve seen increased celebration of individual uniqueness, opinion, and being true to oneself.

This is why I just can’t say “Happy Holidays” to you . . . or “Season’s Greetings” for that matter. These words don’t mean anything to me at all. If I said them, they would be empty words said to avoid criticism and offense.  I must absolutely say “Merry Christmas” not because I think you celebrate Christmas or to persuade you to believe in something you don’t, but because it MEANS something to me. Saying "Merry Christmas" is Trustworthy . . . not "trusty."

When I wish you a Merry Christmas, I am wishing good things for you: joy in your life, a reason to celebrate, an atmosphere of love, and more.  I care enough to say this because I like you and I want to connect with you on a bit deeper level – whether you are a family member, a co-worker, my customer, or someone I have a chance encounter with throughout my day. When I say “Merry Christmas” to you, I want you to feel the friendly affection that is behind the words. I could just say nothing – that would be more trustworthy than saying something that does not mean anything to me , but I choose to be genuine . . . real.

So . . .Merry Christmas to you, my friend. I wish you a time of peace, love, joy, and contentment. I hope your life is full beyond the gifts you receive and the feasts you enjoy.  

And, you know what?

Even though I celebrate Christmas and fully believe in the promise God delivered to us through his son Jesus Christ, I am happy to receive a different greeting from you . . . as long as it means something to you and comes from your heart. Tell me Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever (positive) thing you like. I will know you are saying it because you care.

 Let’s Talk.  What means something to you at this time of year? How do you express it?

This is why for the love of sharing my experiences as a zerovacancygal I bring you behind the scenes of tenant personality profiles.

Does this sound all too familiar?  Keep reading and make your own conclusions

1. The professional renter who’s a B/C+ applicant on paper, great personality on first impressions but then becomes a serial “NSF” tenant after they’ve moved in and deposited the 1^st and last month’s rent. Unique individual because not only do they keep their daytime job, but a hobby of theirs is discerning the “grey areas” of residential tenancies act.
   
   
2. The Venom Spitter- is a foul mouth tenant with a superiority complex . They don’t dialogue, they command; they don’t respect themselves let alone co-tenants, landlords or a property manager. But the weird thing is they often pay rent on time, their unit is immaculate; they actually host a ton of parties and have friends (is this real? You ask). Well like mom and pops said “never give in to a bully” so I’d say bear it for as long as you can.
   
   
3. The Tenant turned landlord – the roles are clear on the tenancy agreement but not in real life dealings with this person. They make simple procedures difficult by being uncooperative. Obviously they don’t own the building but they gather klout via gossip with other tenants. Good news is that sooner than later – late rent notice or eviction time everyone’s role does become clearer.
   
   
4. The Complainer – a conversation with this person is often 1 way, they do all the talking and you do all the listening. Because they focus only on problems not solutions nor on opportunities for solutions. They are hard to please so I’d recommend don’t bother; stand up to them by dropping nuggets of things you’ve done on time, well and worthy of being celebrated even if they don’t think so. Beware of Chronic complainers for they sap you of positive energy and can rob you of precious time if you allow it.
   
   
5. Fairytale Story – this is the one you pray for because they are just a delight to have around, be around and serving them is a treat because they get IT. By IT, I mean the roles and responsibilities of a tenant are not just legal jargon or meaningless syllables to them. They operate by it, they pay rent on time, they have a pride of rental ownership in the space/building, they get respect because they give it, they show empathy , and ultimately they possess a healthy appreciation for what it truly takes to run the place they call HOME.
   
   

There you have it, 5 personality profiles to watch for when screening your next tenant for that fabulous space you have for rent.

Remember, we are all human and imperfect in our ways; but in our daily interactions with each other we can make a conscious on how will the conversation end?

Is it with a smile or with a frown?

With a smile . . .

Your  zerovacancygal

Guest Post by
Jumie Omole

Founder of
Abode Property Management

Let's Talk.  What tenant sterotypes have you encountered?  How do you find ways to effectively manage different tenant personalities?

Jumie is a member of the Let's Talk Property Management Community.  She was the featured member for August 2010.

Jean Storms MPM ®, a property management industry expert and owner of LandlordSource.com, outlines some suggestions in her article "Do Your Manuals Comply with Fair Housing." In it she challenges property management companies to go through their manuals regularly to make sure they remain an asset and do not become a liability. Here is an overview of questions you should ask yourself, but be sure to read the complete article to get some specific implementation advice 

• Do you have a general Fair Housing Policy in your company manual?
• Do you include specifics about the Fair Housing legislation that form the backbone of today's Fair Housing Laws?
• Does your manual include state-specific fair housing laws, which may dictate additional requirements?
• Do you update your manual regularly to ensure it changes along with law? 
• Do you educate your current staff about the changes?

Fair Housing Compliance touches many key areas of day to day property management from marketing and advertising, to conversations with tenants and owners, to the questions asked on forms and documents.  It important to educate your new and existing staff, give them a reliable reference point (like a policy and procedure manual), and to emphasize the importance of following the law by keeping your staff current as the law changes.

Let's Talk.  Does your property management company have policy and procedure manuals for your staff?  How do you make sure your team members keep Fair Housing compliance top of mind as they are servicing your prospective and current owners and tenants?

SoftwareAdvice.com and their Rental Property Software partners recently evaluated the 50 most populous cities in the United States to rank them according to "tenant friendliness."

They used the following criteria and awarded each city a point based on the desirable result from a tenant perspective.

• Cost per square foot for a 2 bedroom apartment
• Change in rent price from 2009 to 2010
• Residential vacancy rate
• Rental cost as a percentage of median income
• Tenant councils
• Tenant-friendly foreclosure laws
• Rent control laws

It was interesting to see the results.  You can see The Top 10 Cities For Renters in 2010 or view a list of all 50 Cities. 

Let's Talk.  What do you think of the criteria above?  What additional criteria would you suggest?  What does this mean for landlords?  Is a tenant-friendly city predisposed to be unfriendly to landlords?