WHY I HATE THE WORD LANDLORD
You won't find me using the word Landlord or Tenant on this blog. I hate both words.
Hate has a strong meaning. It means you intensely or passionately dislike something. I truly feel that way about these two words.
Landlord implies that someone owns the land is therefore Lord of his property. I don't know about you, but Lording over something seems pretty outdated to me. That word implies someone is a master of something; completely in charge, and what he says goes, no matter what. Historically, people died at their Lord's hand if they were not in alignment with the Lord, and depending on the situation, the Lord could choose to impart mercy or justice. Eek.
Tenant implies you are subservient to the Lord of this land. While I do believe there should be respect for the ground rules that the "Lord" has established, I don't believe there is a subservient relationship to this Lord. I know as someone that has rented a home, I did not want to feel like I was a minion to Lord, and simply there to serve a master. Yuck.
Therefore, I just don't use those words. I don't believe that there is a hierarchy in the relationship between me, the homeowner, and our clients who choose to rent our homes. I know fully that our clients are the ones caring for our home while they are there, and I want them to know that we appreciate them. At Haymount Homes, we see them as the caretaker of something special, of something we love. We also want them to love it in return.
Changing this perspective is imperative in improving the relationship with homeowners and clients that rent their homes. It starts from a place of trust, mutual respect, and positivity. It encourages communication and it sets everyone up for future success, both with the clients enjoying their rental home, and for the homeowner knowing that their home is being well cared for.
Of course, there are times when legally I get bound into using the words I despise, like within a lease ( just because I don't like them, doesn't mean they are obsolete....although in my world, that will change someday too :). Just as a rule, I don't use them. I don't see them as a positive place to start a relationship.
I was recently interviewed by Zillow (the top real estate and property management companies on the web today). They wanted to hear my perspective on becoming my own property manager. I told them about my "passionate dislike" for these two words and they were fascinated by that. Maybe I am alone in the world on this perspective, but I just don't see it as a positive one. I want all my relationships to start from a positive place.
So there you have it. Call me weird (I am), call me crazy (some might agree), but what I can tell you is that we have had great relationships with all our clients. We are blessed by them and try to be a blessing to them as well. This is a place where everyone wins, not just a Lord of some land.
How do you feel about these words? I hope I'm not alone!!
- Casey