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December 22, 2008
gift for tenant?
This is our first year as landlords, and we are just wondering if we're supposed to give something to our tenants. They gave us a gift, and we had no idea it was coming! Does anyone give their tenants a gift? What do you do?
Comments
That is charming! Use the golden rule, and give them something in return. Our tenants have occasionally given us something (we invited them for our combined birthday party for instance,) and we've reciprocated with a bottle of bubbly at Xmas.
Unlike many who might weigh in, I think that you can have a great landlord-tenant relationship. Be happy for it.
Posted by: cmu at December 22, 2008 8:23 PM
We do the same as CMU at this time of year -- we give each tenant a bottle of bubbly. I think it's a nice gesture (but of course only as long as we are also responsive to repair issues etc...., which we very much are). We have great tenants and are happy to do what we can to keep them happy. Happy tenants = happy landlord.
Posted by: bricktop at December 22, 2008 8:30 PM
hey bricktop, heh heh. I'd like to have some bubbly with you!
Posted by: cementbottom at December 22, 2008 8:32 PM
Now, now, Rob.
Posted by: mshook at December 22, 2008 9:10 PM
I lived in a three family home for years. My landlord owned a pizza place. They never even offered me a slice of stale pizza let alone a gift even though I helped their elderly mother up and down the stairs and would go and get her milk and such when she ran out.
I think it would be a lovely (and much appreciated) gesture.
Posted by: TownhouseLady at December 22, 2008 10:17 PM
THL...you're lucky you ain't wearin cement overshoes in the east river.
This is a nice gesture that I hadn't thought of so I'm going to leave a bottle of bubbly at my tenants door before New Years.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at December 23, 2008 8:50 AM
Sorry but it works the other way around. The tenant gives to the lendlord :)
Posted by: karo25 at December 23, 2008 10:02 AM
...than of course the landlord returns a favor :)
Posted by: karo25 at December 23, 2008 10:03 AM
Dave you hit the nail on the head. It was *exactly* that situation.
Still...not even an end-of-the-day-slice for a struggling, young, recent college grad? Disonorare su loro!
Posted by: TownhouseLady at December 23, 2008 10:46 AM
Townhouse Lady, that's because the price of pizza has skyrocketed in New York, just as the quality went down. It was too valuable to give away.
As for the owners mother, I'm sure you did it for her and not the landlord. And I wasn't being sarcastic, just reminding you that many of us like helping others.
Posted by: Iknow at December 23, 2008 1:02 PM
I think anything in the home baked or bubbly departments is a fine idea. Very neighborly.
Posted by: serpentor at December 23, 2008 3:18 PM
I think it's a lovely gesture. I lived in a 4 story brownstone for 10 years -- garden & parlor were two old ladies (our sweet old lady landlord on the garden and her sweet slightly less old lady daughter in the parlor). We were on the 2nd floor and there were tenants above as well. Down the street lived the landlady's son. They gave us Holiday gifts, and a baby gift when our daughter was born, and also never raised the rent (in 10 years! I eventually gave MYSELF a rent increase because I felt awkward about it). In return, we tenants helped the sweet old ladies in any way we could (shoveling snow, gardening, decorating at the Holidays, dog walking, bringing the garbage pails to the curb and back, visiting with them). We also would put something extra in the rent envelope at wintertime, to help with the cost of heating the place-- basically we took care of things like it was our house, because they made it our home. And bitter we were not. :) So yes, I think it's a sweet practice between people who share a house. And Happy Holidays to you.
Posted by: I_haz_TWO_toilets at December 23, 2008 3:26 PM
I have had tenants who I'd give the world and other tenants I'd enjoy giving a swift kick before I booted them out the door.
It's reciprocal - my best tenants were dinner guests, cat watchers and took my FedEX deliveries. And I reciprocated. It was more an exchange between friendly people than a tip kind of thing. My worst tenant - interestingly enough - gave us a copy of "Moby Dick" as a holiday gift. I should have known right then the relationship would be doomed ; )
I have often left a bottle of champagne with a welcome note in a fridge when new tenants moved in, as a way to set the tone. Sometimes it takes, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's worth a try.
Posted by: Stonergut at December 23, 2008 3:40 PM
I haz TWO toilets... won't you be my neighbor?
Posted by: GHB at December 23, 2008 3:41 PM
In larger buildings, with the impersonal nature of the business relationship, it's rare (and odd) for landlords to give gifts to the tenants. For smaller buildings, where the landlord lives there as well, it's easy to become friendly with tenants. Although it's always awkward for a landlord to become friendly with someone they may have to evict (or worse) you still get a sense of people by the close proximity. I have always given tenants a "welcome" gift, much like Stonergut, and it DOES set a tone for the relationship. Generally afterwards, for decent tenants, I've always given a holiday token of some sort: chocolates, a gift certificate, or a bottle of something. I feel no qualms about ignoring a deadbeat or bad tenant at the holidays since they started the ill-will in the first place. The best advice; don't feel obligated! But if you feel you WANT to, then by all means, listen to your instincts. Good tenants aren't easy to find, and they like being appreciated just like everyone else.
Posted by: brikenny at December 24, 2008 12:44 AM
Here's my philosophy, do whatever you feel like doing. Giving gifts as some sort of protocol, like the obligatory tip or whatever, stinks. You may feel like, hey, I love this person - they are so nice, they help me maintain my house, they throw their garbage out, they give me my money on the first of the month, they add good vibrations to my house. Yes, you may feel like buying them something. But then you may NOT feel like giving them something. It doesn't have to be that they are a pain in the ass or bad, you just may not feel like doing it, you may not have the time or cash, they may be so lucky to have you as a landlord -- you could be so wonderful and generous and charming and helpful and provide them with such a stupendous gorgeous living place -- all that money and all that effort -- to keep the place stunning and garbage put out and lights replaced and halls spic and span and apartments warm and comfy even though you work and blah blah blah and well, that's it. Buy the wine, don't buy the wine. Whatever. Do what you feel. Just make it genuine not some phony protocol.
Posted by: donatella at December 24, 2008 12:15 PM
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