Proper Behavior Every Tenant Should Know to Impress a Landlord

Having good relationships with your landlord and neighbors is crucial if you live in an apartment, condo, or townhouse. Getting to know your neighbors will make them much more likely to come to you if they have a problem like a noise complaint.

Meanwhile, being a good tenant will help you benefit from the doubt if another tenant complains or your landlord finds lease violations.

Of course, landlords aim to treat all their tenants fairly, but if you prove you’re a good tenant, you can live there for years without any issues. But what makes a good tenant?

Here are a few etiquette rules you should know:

What Tenants Should Know About Apartment Living Etiquette

Renewing Your Lease

Renewing your lease itself isn’t enough to qualify for good tenant etiquette. However, it would help if you always gave notice when you want to continue your lease.

In most cases, the landlord or management company will handle this for you by sending a letter at least 30 days before your current lease expires. However, if they don’t, they may have a policy for notifying them if you plan to renew or move out.

Avoid Damages

Every apartment and home is subject to wear and tear, especially if you’ve lived in the same unit for a few years. However, while landlords expect some scuff marks, they want to ensure you don’t damage the property in a way that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Since landlords can perform inspections, avoiding property damage is crucial, mainly because they might look for lease violations whenever they enter your home.

Make Timely Maintenance Requests

Some maintenance requests can wait. For example, if your dishwasher breaks, you may hand-wash dishes in the sink to avoid maintenance entering your apartment when you’re away.

However, serious maintenance requests must be dealt with as soon as possible. For example, if your heater breaks in the winter, you should call maintenance as quickly as possible because it could cause the pipes to freeze and burst, damaging your home and your neighbors’ homes.

Follow Pet Rules

If your apartment complex allows pets, you should follow the rules outlined in your lease. These rules may include picking up after your dog outside, not allowing pets in common areas, and ensuring your pet is registered with the complex.

Landlords reserve the right to move your pets out of the rentals if you don’t follow these rules. Additionally, it would help if you tried to train your dog to behave while on walks and inside the apartment because neighbors can complain about anything from barking to bad behavior.

Manage Your Noise

Everyone has the right to live in a home that doesn’t affect their quality of life. Unfortunately, you can expect to hear your neighbors occasionally if you live in an apartment. However, you should always be aware of your noise levels. That’s not to say you can’t play music, but you should be mindful of how loud your music is and the time of day.

Some apartments have quiet times that last from night to early morning, but for the most part, you should try to stay quiet when most people are sleeping.

Of course, some noise can be expected, such as slamming doors, dogs barking occasionally, and people talking in the hallway. Keeping your noise level reasonable will give you more leverage if a neighbor decides to complain.

Keep it Clean

While your neighbors likely won’t see the inside of your home, you should still try to keep it clean. Your neighbors and landlord want the complex to look neat and organized from the outside, so consider cleaning any rooms with a large window in them that you keep open.

It would help if you also cleaned your home’s exterior by removing trash or equipment near the front door or balcony. It’s also a good idea to customize your apartment and make it look cozy while you think about cleaning it as well.

Additionally, keeping the inside of your home clean can prevent pest problems for your neighbors. For example, if you have a filthy apartment, you could attract rodents or pests that enter other units. Then, once your landlord finds the source of the infestation, you could be blamed and charged for any pest control or repair services.

Address Issues With Neighbors Directly

While calling your landlord to complain about a neighbor might be tempting, the best thing you can do is talk to your neighbor directly. For example, if your neighbor’s dog barks throughout the night, consider knocking on their door to discuss the issue before filing an initial complaint.

Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. In addition, allowing your neighbors to fix the problem before getting them in trouble with management can help you build a relationship with them.

Additionally, it will also prevent you from getting in trouble with management. For example, if you complain about your neighbor’s noise, they’re more likely to complain about your noise. So instead, approaching the neighbor directly to solve the issue is best for everyone, including your landlord, who probably doesn’t have the time to address these issues.

Follow Parking Rules

If you pay for a parking spot, you want to be able to use that parking spot. Some landlords offer covered parking for an additional fee.

If you don’t pay for it, don’t use it because it could mean taking up a spot your neighbor pays for. If there are dedicated spots, only park where you’re supposed to and instruct your guests to do the same.

Final Thoughts on Apartment Living Etiquette

Apartment etiquette is more about being a good neighbor than a good tenant. However, being a good neighbor can help you become a good tenant by reducing complaints against you.

Being friendly and communicating means you don’t have to involve your landlord in every issue. Doing so can prevent your problem from being solved and anger your neighbors who want to hear matters directly from you.

At a basic level, being polite, friendly, and respectful are the critical components of good apartment living etiquette and can help you and your neighbors feel happier and more comfortable at home.

About the author: The above article on apartment etiquette rules for tenants was written by Ashley Nielsen. Ashley earned a B.S. in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University.

She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.