No Ostriches In Park City Property Management
We all know the classic image of an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. We probably all laugh at how foolish the ostrich looks and wonder how it could possibly think that by covering only its head, while its entire body is completely exposed, it can somehow avoid something dangerous. In today's blog post I would like to talk a little bit about how landlords and tenants sometimes bury their head's in the sand in Park City property management.
Avoidance Behavior
Dictionary.com defines avoidance behavior as "a pervasive pattern of avoiding or withdrawing from social interaction; a defense mechanism by which a person removes himself/herself from unpleasant situations". I'm not saying we are all completely avoiding difficult situations, or withdrawing from any social interaction. And if you are then this blog is DEFINITELY not the kind of help you need. However I'm sure we've all been in situations where a problem must be faced, sometimes big and sometimes small, that we would rather not deal with for a variety of reasons. I'd like to take a look at some situations that can occur in property management in Park City where burying your head in the sand and ignoring the problem can only lead to further complications and difficulties.
Ostrich Landlords
Let me paint a picture for you that perhaps you can relate to. It's Friday afternoon, you're getting ready to enjoy a nice weekend with your family once you finish up with work when you receive a phone call from your tenant. To spice this up a little more let's say that the tenant always pays on time, takes care of your property, but is always calling you about ticky-tacky items to the point where you are becoming frustrated with the frequency of their calls.
The tenant tells you there is some water under the kitchen sink and they aren't sure where it's coming from. Here is your ostrich moment. You could very easily tell them to put a towel under the sink and you will stop by when you have a moment, and then get busy enjoying your weekend. Or you can face the issue head on and solve the problem. The water could easily be coming from a loose drain connection that simply needs tightening, or your tenant could have just spilled something when they were throwing some garbage away, not noticed, and then later discover the water and think there is a plumbing problem. Or you could have a worn out connection on the pressurized cold water line that is one slight nudge away from failing completely and flooding the property when your tenant is also out enjoying their weekend. The truth of the matter is you don't know. So don't bury your head in the sand, get over there, solve the problem and get on with enjoying your weekend. Or better yet hire a Utah property management company and never worry about this scenario again.
Ostrich Tenants
Now let's take a look at avoiding a difficult scenario from a tenant's perspective. The first of the month is just a few days away, you've had some car trouble that ended up costing you a lot and you're in a position where you can pay rent or buy some groceries but you can't do both. Your next paycheck is more than a week away which also happens to be past the deadline for late payment spelled out in your lease. This is your ostrich moment. You can go about your week, pay your landlord when you get the money and hope nothing bad happens. Or you can contact your landlord, explain the situation, and express your desire to pay rent and fulfill your obligations, and let them know when the money will be available. Facing the problem will keep your landlord informed on the situation and they should be willing to work with you as you've been a great tenant and they understand that everyone gets in a tight spot sometimes. You will avoid phone calls from the landlord wondering where rent is, posting of notices, and possible eviction proceedings.
For more information on Park City, Utah property management download our free white page "5 Questions Every Landlord Should Ask Themselves".
