Renters – Pretend You Own It

There’s no question that people who own the suites / rooms you are renting from or may rent from in the future can seem intimidating. They seem to have the world on a string. They certainly seem to have something figured out. They, after all, own the suite that you only wished was yours.

But what if it was yours?

It brings up a few questions. Ones you better be able to answer BEFORE you run out to find a new place.

First, You have to know what you’re looking for. If the suite you’re looking at isn’t something you’d be proud to own, maybe you shouldn’t live there?

For example, if it’s a little too dark in the suite and you would never ever (in a million years) think of buying the place because you simply can’t stand living in a cave -then it’s probably a sign that you should keep looking.

Granted the suite may “do” but if you’re staying for more than a month (and more than likely the lease will be for at least six months) it may do more hard to you than you want it to.

Ask yourself if you would own it. If you wouldn’t want it, move on. It’s a good litmus test for renting.

Second, how would you treat it if you did own it? You see, the real secret to having a great relationship with your landlord (which probably, to you, looks like you never interact with each other) you have to understand that they just want things to go smoothly. They value smoothness over everything else.

With that in mind when little things break fix them yourself – just like you would if you owned the house. Sure, if it’s something big give your landlord a call, but do the little stuff yourself. This will create a tremendous relationship with your landlord.

It will also create a fringe benefit. It will make your rental place FEEL more like something you own. If you invest even 10 minutes into fixing something up you’ll feel a lot more like your suite is more than just a suite… you’ll find it has become a home.

These two questions will help you figure out which suites you would want to live in and would definitely NOT want to live in. They’ll also help you maintain good relationships with your landlord and create a real sense of home in your rental property.

Plus, one day it may be you that owns the suite so you’ll be thankful for the good karma you invested now.