Renting in an apartment complex with property manager vs. renting from owner.

[raccoon]

IME, it's much, much easier to rent in a complex (or duplex, whatever) where property managers are handling things vs. renting from a landlord/landlady who also manages the place.

Seems like the owner gets p.o. when things break down, even if whatever broke is older than dirt. To them it's just money out of their pocket, never mind the inconvenience to you.

Your experience?

[IndianaJones]

1. wholeheartedly agree. nt.

[ThomCat]

2. Absolutely. Landlords want you to live there quietly,

and continually give them money. They don't save for forseeable expenses and they don't want to pay for anything. Property managers (decent ones) are prepared for stuff that happens.

[bridgit]

3. Our landlady turned out to be a strange one, hubby had to change the dead-bolt out...

cause she started commenting on things that were in our bedroom, made very strange comments about having Tim 'removed' (stories she'd done likewise with other people's cats = very strange!!); other people actually caught her in their file cabinets, others just standing there in their living-rooms when they got home

The property owner shuffled her off site, we now deal with him directly which we prefer cause he's a great guy, very understanding, never gets p.o.'d about his properties, just wants his tenants to be happy & living there/here a long time like i suggest however...

he is very nice, and very singular in my experience with other prop mgr's

[soleft]

4. I'm moving when my lease runs out because of my landlord

In ten years he hasn't done anything to maintain the apartment, when something goes really wrong he tries to get people to come in and do it for free, it's never done timely or well. And this year he completely disappeared for several months while we were being over run with water bugs.

[graywarrior]

5. Private owners have no clue about laws and liabilities.

It's torture renting from someone who is as dumb as a rock.