Ever get really angry with a tenant? I have. I have been so mad that I just want to yell, scream or even worse! However, if I let those emotions get the better of me (and I have), it usually does not end up well. Yelling at your tenants and making them mad at you is never a smart thing to do. Yes it will feel good yelling “Just pay the rent!” or “Why did you paint the walls black!” but you need to stop and think for a minute.
What is going to happen after you leave the property?
You will have someone who is very angry at you and is living in your property. Perhaps they will calm down and do nothing. On the other hand, they might decide to move (which may not be a bad thing) and leave you with an apartment to rehab and a vacancy to fill. Or even worse, they might want to seek revenge, like this guy that caused several thousand dollars in damage when he tried to set a booby trap for his landlord. At least he was caught, convicted and did a bit of jail time. But that rarely happens.
Almost every landlord has a story or two about a tenant destroying their property after angry words were exchanged. The damage can run from holes punched in walls, to cement being poured in toilets, to fire being set to carpets. It usually only takes one such episode for most landlords to learn that yelling at their tenants is just not worth it. They can simply do too much damage or cause you too much hassle.
That does not mean you cannot be angry at them and take steps to enforce your rules or your rights. An eviction for example is simply going to be an ugly and anger inducing process as far as the tenant is concerned. So there are times that you cannot avoid making your tenant angry at you. But you need to do these things in a non-confrontational and professional manner. If you feel like you are going to lose your cool, leave the area or hang up the phone and return to the issue when you have had time to cool down. Trust me, it may not feel good at the moment, but you and your property will be glad you did.
We have built our business on the idea that tenants are great people. Naturally, they can’t have whatever the desire, but we can take the time to explain it or educate them. Treating them respect is a must.