I am constantly amazed by technology and the benefits it brings. As a child of the 1980s, having more than three TV channels along with a source of communication and all knowledge right in your pocket is astounding. But sometimes I think too much technology can be too much of a good thing. As a landlord, it seems that instead of being helpful, technology sometimes causes new problems.
When you own multiple rental properties, the last thing you want to create for yourself is more potential problems, another maintenance issue or something else you have to keep on top of. We landlords have enough of that already with all of the roofs, yards, accounting and personalities we must deal with. Technology has certainly made many things better. Cell phones make communication, scheduling and completing tasks much more efficient for example. But technology also seems to create its own problems.
Take thermostats. Yes, I’m talking about the simple device that controls the heat and air conditioning. They are not so simple anymore. Gone are the days when a thermostat had two switches and a lever to control the temperature. Today they have batteries, long instruction sheets and need to be programmed. Sure, there are benefits to these things but batteries die and need to be replaced, instructions get lost and programming gets deprogrammed. All of which causes a hassle for me and my tenants that I would not have if I had the simple, old style, analog thermostat.
Appliances are another example. Appliances have always been a maintenance issue. They breakdown, get abused and worn out and must be replaced. This can be such a problem that some landlords shy away from even providing them. Technology has made this problem worse. As a landlord I want simple. I want indestructible. I want something that even a small child could figure out and use. Technology is moving us away from that. Stoves, washing machines and dishwashers used to have simple switches or knobs. On was on and off was off. Not so anymore. Electronic control boards have changed all of that. There are now so many circuits, switches and buttons that can break or malfunction to render the appliance useless and in need of replacement. No longer can one just replace a knob or a switch in a few minutes, now the entire appliance has to be replaced.
Sometimes I feel like I am just yelling at a cloud and turning into an old fogey with these sorts of rants. Perhaps I am and I guess it will happen to the best of us. I truly get many of the benefits that technology has and is bringing us. I like the LED lights that save on electricity and hardly ever need to be replaced for example. But I do not need or want technology to create new or increase problems for me. It seems that sometimes the old technology was simply better.
What do you think landlords? Am I wrong here? Am I just not keeping up with the times? What technology do you think is great? What just causes you more problems? Let me know with a comment below.
Kevin Perk is the founder and publisher of Smarterlandlording.com. He is the author of Advice From Experience To New Real Estate Investors. Subscribe to Smarterlandlording here. Contact Kevin here.
