My soap box...to pay or not to pay your rent.
Today I want to use this blog platform as a soap box.
I know everyone is suffering right now…physically, psychologically, emotionally and especially financially.
But people, you need three things in life to survive and as a landlord I provide two of those things…shelter and water.
I am a landlord. I am the person who many believe is one step above (or below depending on your personal experiences) a used car salesman. I do want to point out that my apartments are “affordablet” units…so they are not expensive to live in and have very few frills. For those of you who live in areas with higher rent or who live in “high dollar” rental dwellings, this “rant” may not apply to you entirely…but PLEASE consider the underlying message.
I am a good landlord. I make sure maintenance is done when needed and the grounds are well maintained. I make sure units are SUPER clean before new tenants move in. I make sure there are no bugs. I work hard to keep the area safe and crime free.
And more importantly I work with people when they can’t pay rent for REASONABLE reasons. Not “I lost my job”…you literally can walk two blocks from my complex and get a job…even now. “My car broke down”…I am 1/2 block from a bus stop.
My favorite…an excuse from a stripper… “I couldn’t work this week because I was….” Let’s just say it was “her time of the month.” I kid you not.
Right now, times are tough…but I live in a state that is not under a “shelter in place” order and we haven’t been hit terribly bad with the virus. Heck, Lowe’s parking lot was jam packed Sunday afternoon.
Yes, companies and businesses, large and small, are laying people off…but there are also companies who are begging for workers. Brian works in the grocery business and they are hiring like crazy.
Also, it is tax season and most people have gotten or will get their tax return. The government just sent out a stimulus payment to tax payers (the amount would cover two months of rent in my apartments) and unemployment is paying more than your average hourly worker makes in our state.
So what has my panties in a wad….
I have a real beef with the people who are TELLING people not to pay rent. I heard it just this past week on the Bobby Bones show…Barbara Corcoran, Shark Tank panelist and NYC real estate tycoon, telling people to NOT pay their rent…landlords can’t evict you so just don’t pay it.
Okay, first….WRONG. The federal government has stopped evictions on HUD housing and properties with HUD loans…but I am not a HUD housing project and I do not have a HUD or government backed loan. Nor do many landlords. So yes, we can evict.
Here is the catch…an eviction process is costly and time consuming. While it may sound simple, it is not. I personally have to hire an attorney because the properties are in a corporation…while I could do the filing myself, I cannot legally.
I would rather work with a tenant than go through the hassle.
So, here’s my soap box…
First, you have to have shelter. It is a necessity. In my case, I also pay all the utilities and water is always top on the list of “have to haves”…that is why I say I provide two essentials to life.
Second, NOTHING should take priority over your housing expenses. Except maybe food…and there are places that literally give it away. Car loan? Defer it…the banks are working with people. Court fines? Defer it…courts are working with people. Student loans, credit cards, furniture rentals…all things that can be DEFERRED for the time being.
Don’t even get me started on cigarettes and booze. If you can still buy either and not pay your rent…wow…just wow!
Your landlord still has things they HAVE to pay even if you don’t. A mortgage…most of us have a mortgage on that property. Property taxes…the state isn’t going to let that one slide! Property insurance…haven’t gotten anything from State Farm saying I don’t have to pay insurance for the next few months. The bug guy…that reason should be obvious! Utilities…yes, some are “deferring” utility payments…but I still owe it and will still have to pay it! And then there are all the taxes and fees I have to pay yearly, quarterly and monthly…holy crud!
Maintenance…if your water heater/stove/HVAC/refrigerator goes out…you want it fixed. If a water line bursts or the sewer line breaks (both happened this past year to the tune of over $5K) you want them repaired. If your roof leaks, you want it fixed. If your window gets busted out, you want it replaced. Yes, things still break and still need to be fixed…imagine having to pay for a new water heater, refrigerator, and stove all in one month…welcome to my world…plus some!
The sad thing about this “just don’t pay mentality” is that it really hurts the elderly and disabled. They are going to get a check every month…and they are going to pay their rent. But because the other tenants don’t pay I can’t afford to replace refrigerators or fix stoves or repair the HVAC for the elderly and disabled.
Because you don’t use every resource you have to pay your rent…your tax return or stimulus check, unemployment, car loan, dig ditches…whatever…THEY SUFFER!!!!
Also, I would like to point out that NO ONE encourages you to just walk into grocery stores (or Wal-Mart or Target or any convenient store) and just TAKE what you think you need or want. Food, shoes, personal products. No, that is theft…you can’t just walk in and take what you need just because you don’t have any money…you can’t just drive up to a gas station and fill up your car and drive off without paying because you don’t have a job. They, just like landlords, have overhead and expenses. They, just like landlords, don’t have the ability to just GIVE everyone things they need.
If you still resent the hell out of your landlord and think all are just a bunch of money grubbing thieves, here is my suggestion…go buy your own house. You take on the financial responsibility of owning a home…you take on the responsibility of paying the taxes and insurance…you fix or replace the refrigerator or stove or HVAC or water heater. You replace the roof when it leaks. Mow and maintain the yard.
Go get a loan, buy a house, and take on the responsibility.
If you cannot or will not do that, then maybe, just maybe, you should be thankful that there are people out there willing to take on the RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES so you can have a roof over your head.
In the meantime, remember you have a responsibility to do EVERYTHING in your power to pay your rent. You have a responsibility to make it a PRIORITY!
In spite of what some people spew irresponsibly on national radio.
I wish I had the financial ability to just “give” everyone a place to live, free of charge. I do not. I am living week to week just like everyone else. I am still going to work every day to make sure my tenants have what they need.
I will stand down now…
All that being said, I do have a very “uplifting” post prepared that I had originally planned to post this week…so I may post it tomorrow. Just a few tips on staying positive during these trying times…stay tuned!
