Landlords give it their all to make it work

By Trigg Edwards

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The mere mention of a landlord can evoke fear and images of overdue rent checks in the minds of students. But collecting rent isn’t the main responsibility of every landlord.

Shawna Hussman, a landlord who manages one property in Lawrence, knows about the duties that come with renting and leasing.

“I talk to prospective renters, to the owners of the house, and I also keep track of the house,” Hussman said. “I make sure there aren’t any problems with the house. I collect payments, rent, and I prepare the lease for tenants.”

Hussman compared her job to that of a resident assistant in a residence hall. She checks tenants in and out of houses and also checks for damages at the beginning and end of a lease.

The relationship between a tenant and a landlord begins with the landlord’s preparing to show a residence, which can be a demanding and burdensome task.

It requires them to go the extra mile. What can irritate landlords such as Bonita Yoter are tenants who make appointments to see a residence but then don’t show up.

Yoter, who works through an independent real estate company, manages real estate in Colorado and Kansas.

“If you can’t make an appointment, call and cancel it,” Yoter said.

Landlords lose time and money when tenants become irresponsible, and the possibility of a business relationship between the tenant and landlord ends.

Before showing a house or an apartment, the landlord or property manager cleans the residence for the potential renter.

After a tenant signs for the property the landlord assumes a new role.

The role of the landlord is to act as a guardian, Yoter said. That means if something were to happen to the house that wasn’t the tenant’s fault (i.e. loss of power, heat, etc.) it would be the responsibility of the landlord to make sure the problem was fixed in a timely manner.

“We have had a thermostat break and had a repairman go out there and fix their thermostat,” Hussman said.

She said she needs heat at night so she’d rather know if tenants have a problem with their heat.

Becoming a landlord is simple. All someone needs is the drive to run a career.

Mark McFraizer, an independent landlord in Lawrence, has been in the industry for two years.

“When I first started I got a duplex ... I got someone to rent it for me,” he said. “It’s a business to start if you’re looking for equity.”

McFraizer said he believes that the amount of rent covered the cost of the business. When he started out he would visit local bookstores to see how to get into the real estate business.

“Seeing what other people had done gave me the motivation to get started,” McFraizer said.

— — Edited by Jesse Trimble

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