Landlord Wants to Pay Us

**TexasHusker** · 08-22-2018, 06:44 AM

Originally posted by creditcardfree View Post

Our landlord who lives out of state and does not have a property manager locally. Because we are leaving this fall, they are looking to rent the property again. They are asking if we would be willing to show the property to potential and interested renters for payment in return for giving our impressions on their level of interest. And they are asking what our asking price would be.

I'm fully aware that legally (and according to our lease) the owner has the right to show the property to a potential renter. I'm perfectly fine with that, but I never expected that I would be asked to do an additional duty of being available to show the property and report back our impressions.

I would need to clean, make time in my day, spend however long talking to the renters (we were here nearly an hour when we visited the first time), and then analyze in my mind what my impression was and report back. That is definitely worth something!

I feel like the number needs to be significant enough that the landlord doesn't send everyone over. That the money they would outlay would make them vet the renter to some degree.

The landlord is currently taking classes in one state and his wife works and lives about four hours away in another state. It would cost them at a minimum gas, food on the road and time off work (and maybe a hotel) if they were to drive here to show the house to a potential renter.

How much should I ask for? I have a number in mind, but wonder what others think.

Can I put stipulations on this? Such as only during X hours, when my husband would also be home?

Usually I'm all over making some extra cash, but this one is throwing me for a loop!

I think you are way in "overthink" territory on this. Your landlord is offering to compensate you as a friendly gesture. (S)he isn't "asking you to do an additional duty". They are asking if you would WANT to for some compensation. If I was the landlord in this situation and the tenant replied to me with suspicion and a bunch of "stipulations", I'd likely say "Just screw it...wish I'd have never asked."

**Jluke** · 08-22-2018, 07:16 AM

Monetarily. I might start with one month�s rent and go from there.

Absolutely agree to showing times, etc.

You may want to think ahead and include repayment for any expenses incurred on your part for this task.

**creditcardfree** · 08-22-2018, 07:21 AM

FYI, rent is $1800 a month.

**Jluke** · 08-22-2018, 07:34 AM

If the renter is found in 30 days, $x amount.

If the renter is found in 60 days, $y amount.

If the renter is found in > 90 days, $z amount.

Escalating scale where z is greater than y. y is greater than x.

x=$400, y= $500, z= $600 (1/3 rent)

obviously dollars and time can be adjusted.

I dunno.

**creditcardfree** · 08-22-2018, 07:46 AM

Thanks, Jluke. I'm really trying to get various opinions and ideas, so I do appreciate yours.

**disneysteve** · 08-22-2018, 07:46 AM

I'm not sure about appropriate compensation but you absolutely can and should stipulate when you're available to do this. You are being asked to invite strangers into your home to walk all through the place, go in your cabinets, measure your closets, etc. If you don't want to be home alone when that happens, your landlord needs to respect that. Send him a list of times when your husband is home and you are willing and able to make the place available. You can't have people popping up at any old time.

**riverwed070707** · 08-23-2018, 06:24 AM

As a landlord, I think one months rent is absurd, especially if you're going to be picky about your availability. That's comparable to what a property management company would charge and they are available any time and do the background checks and vetting. Additionally, I would not be agreeable to paying someone based on when it gets filled because then what stops them from recommending the first person with cash?

My gut says to charge an application fee for every showing - whatever is standard in your area (here its $25-35) - and you get to keep the application fee but you have to provide the application for each potential tenant and your comments. Do you think the place will rent pretty quickly? Is it competitively priced? I work a full time job so when I have a vacancy, I list the property find a couple days that work best for me (usually a weekend because those work best for tenants too) and I schedule all my appointments in 30 minute increments on those 2 days. I occasionally make exceptions if that doesn't work for someone, but I steer everyone toward my designated times so I can knock them out at once and pick the best option. If you had 10 showings in a weekend you'd make $250-500 just for cleaning your own house and being available for 5 hours and I'm sure at least one of them will be worthy of a recommendation.

... if its not competitively priced or will take a while to fill that's trickier. Less worth your time if it takes you a month to get 10 showings and you have to make time every weekend for a month.

**creditcardfree** · 08-23-2018, 08:24 AM

Originally posted by riverwed070707 View Post

As a landlord, I think one months rent is absurd, especially if you're going to be picky about your availability. That's comparable to what a property management company would charge and they are available any time and do the background checks and vetting. Additionally, I would not be agreeable to paying someone based on when it gets filled because then what stops them from recommending the first person with cash?

My gut says to charge an application fee for every showing - whatever is standard in your area (here its $25-35) - and you get to keep the application fee but you have to provide the application for each potential tenant and your comments. Do you think the place will rent pretty quickly? Is it competitively priced? I work a full time job so when I have a vacancy, I list the property find a couple days that work best for me (usually a weekend because those work best for tenants too) and I schedule all my appointments in 30 minute increments on those 2 days. I occasionally make exceptions if that doesn't work for someone, but I steer everyone toward my designated times so I can knock them out at once and pick the best option. If you had 10 showings in a weekend you'd make $250-500 just for cleaning your own house and being available for 5 hours and I'm sure at least one of them will be worthy of a recommendation.

... if its not competitively priced or will take a while to fill that's trickier. Less worth your time if it takes you a month to get 10 showings and you have to make time every weekend for a month.

I cannot imagine asking $1800 (our rental rate) for showing the property either. We are doing somewhat little in the whole scheme of things. We are cleaning, opening the doors, giving the tour, answering questions and reporting back our 'impressions' of the potential renter to our landlord. We are not involved in any other way. But it is a huge inconvenience and will definitely take some of our time. I think it's fair that we don't have to give up our entire weekend to show a property, so my thinking is in line with yours that we steer the showings to a specific day of the week.

My guess is it is competitively priced. I know of two other rentals similar, but listed with a property management company, that are charging $1975 and $1995 in the same neighborhood.

Landlord has two interested renters after screening out quite a few others. It will probably rent fast, which will honestly make me feel better to just get it over with!

**creditcardfree** · 08-23-2018, 09:21 AM

Update: Landlord has two vetted interested parties that are local and flexible with time to see property. He is going to attempt a two hour window for both to visit and pay us $200 by Zelle or check immediately following. I originally was thinking $100 per showing, so this is in line with my thinking. He seems pretty positive one of these two would sign a lease, so in the end maybe not a big deal. He will pay additional if there are additional showings.

**disneysteve** · 08-23-2018, 09:45 AM

That sounds great, ccf. $200 is a nice bit of extra money for not a whole lot of effort.

**riverwed070707** · 08-23-2018, 12:58 PM

I don't see how its any more inconvenient than if you had to have it picked up and show ready and be out of the house every time someone were to schedule a showing, especially if you have pets. $200 for 2 showings sounds generous! Hope one works out.

**creditcardfree** · 08-23-2018, 04:43 PM

Originally posted by riverwed070707 View Post

I don't see how its any more inconvenient than if you had to have it picked up and show ready and be out of the house every time someone were to schedule a showing, especially if you have pets. $200 for 2 showings sounds generous! Hope one works out.

It's inconvenient because it IS an extra duty that we didn't agree to in our lease. Greeting someone and showing them around a 2800 sq ft home in a polite manner and answering questions is far different than sitting in a chair on your porch while they view the property with your landlord. It may be 'no big deal' to you, but it's a big deal to me, and I'm thankful my landlord sees that. Our lease doesn't say we or our pets have to leave, but only allow access for potential renters with the landlord. I agree the cleaning/tidy is no different, but again not spelled out in our lease as required. We will have home clean.

My landlord as I stated in my post is NOT local. If he or his wife were to return for a showing they would have gas, potential loss wages (his wife) and a hotel costs. As it is the husband is unable to leave work (military training currently) to show the homes. So knowing what it would cost them to make the trip, it is worth it to them to offer a generous incentive.

I, too, hope one works out so I can enjoy this home in peace until we move.

**disneysteve** · 08-23-2018, 05:59 PM

Originally posted by riverwed070707 View Post

I don't see how its any more inconvenient than if you had to have it picked up and show ready and be out of the house every time someone were to schedule a showing

I think there��s a huge difference and clearly the landlord recognizes that and is offering compensation as a result.

**bjl584** · 08-24-2018, 02:55 AM

$200 seems fair. Sounds like things worked out

Landlord Wants to Pay Us