It should go without saying that landlords look for tenants that are responsible, pay their rent on time each month and keep their rentals clean. Here's some tips on how you can be a good tenant and ensure a great relationship - even after you've moved out! 1. Follow the "rules." When your landlord gives you rules to follow, whether in your signed lease or posted in your building - they aren't being given arbitrarily. Landlords don't set rules to be unfair; we set them for your and our protection - and for the safety and comfort of the other residents in your building. 2. Meet your neighbors! Don't let your neighbors be faceless people on the other side of a wall. Introduce yourself and look out for each other. Knowing your neighbors also helps with conflict resolution. By communicating with each other, you can often solve small issues before they turn into big issues. 3. Communicate with your landlord! Have you changed jobs? Thinking about getting a pet? Taking your relationship to the next level and want to move in together? Experiencing a loss of income? Call your landlord and update any changes, and check your lease before making any major decisions. Your landlord can't work with you unless we know about what you're going through. Open and honest communication is key to being a good tenant. 4. Ask first. Maybe you got a great deal on a flat screen tv and want to mount it on the wall. It's always better to ask permission first before embarking on a "project." Your landlord knows if there's a reason why a wall-mount won't work, or what our insurance policy says about fire pits (usually a big no by the way!). Sometimes your landlord might even offer to do the project FOR you. So before you buy those closet organizers that screw into the wall, ask first. 5. Report maintenance issues. Is your sink leaking? We need to know! From simple fixes to larger maintenance issues, your landlord can't fix what we don't know about. When you submit a maintenance request, have a realistic timeline and be prepared to give reasonable access to your apartment, being sure to indicate when staff can enter (whether you are home or not!). 6. Share feedback! We want to hear the good, the bad and even the ugly. Landlords often are only contacted by tenants with complaints, but you make our day when you call to share something GREAT! We want to address needs AND hear what we're doing right.