I used to give out my personal cell number to tenants, never again

For the first year managing a 40 unit building in Spokane, I thought being super available was good service. I'd hand my number out like candy, saying 'text me anytime.' Big mistake. It turned into 3 AM texts about a dripping faucet, weekend calls asking when trash day was (it's on the lease, page two), and one guy who sent me 12 pictures of a single lightbulb that needed changing. The last straw was a tenant who called me at 6 AM on a Sunday because their neighbor's TV was too loud. I changed my policy cold turkey about six months ago. Now, everything goes through the office line or the property portal during business hours, and for real emergencies, they call the after-hours line that goes to a service. My sanity is back. Has anyone else had to set a hard line like this after being too nice?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna89128d ago

My last tenant in Phoenix texted me 47 times in one week about a wobbly ceiling fan. I switched to a Google Voice number that only rings from 9 to 5 now.

hannahw3028d ago

That is such a smart move with the Google Voice hours. Read an article once about how setting those clear boundaries from the start actually makes tenants respect your time more. They learn what counts as a real emergency. A wobbly fan definitely does not make that list. Forty seven texts is just someone who has never fixed anything themselves. Your new system probably saves you so much pointless stress.

sean_johnson1627d ago

That's how you get a lawsuit.