I am not loved by the general public; my job makes me the enemy of many. I have made people (men and women) cry and I have been called quite a few curse words (that I won’t bore you with here); I have even been threatened with bodily and psychic harm. (I had a maintenance technician who was a warlock. He was fired and subsequently vowed to put a curse on me.) But my favorite part of being a property manager is when tenants and/or their families attempt to make me feel guilty about enforcing our policies. They tell me I’ll “be sorry,” or that certain things will be “on [my] conscience.” They say I have “no heart” or that I don’t care.
Let’s be clear: it is not my job to care. It is my job to collect rent on the apartment for which you signed a lease. (In fact, “caring” – as my tenants define it - can quickly become a conflict of interest.) And it is my job to enforce the policies of my company as well as to observe the *many* laws/statutes governing the fair and equal sale/management of housing. Personal feelings cannot/do not enter into it. You want me to feel bad for you? Fine. I am sorry that you didn’t figure out how to pay your rent on time when you knew that it was due on the 5th and your check wouldn’t be coming ‘til the 6th. I am sorry that you chose to spend all of your money on Christmas presents, wrote us a bad check for your December rent, and are now being evicted in January. I am sorry that you allowed your abusive ex-boyfriend to move into your apartment (without our permission), that he attacked you, and that you now want out of your lease early because you don’t feel “safe.” I am sorry that you found a job in another state and want to move early without having to pay out your lease. I am sorry that you lost your job and can’t pay your rent. I am sorry that I can’t let you live here for free. I AM SORRY.
It’s all part of this culture of blame that we live in. Everything is someone else’s fault; blame whomever you have to in order to get an exception made. I’m not saying that I’ve never been a willing participant in this game, but I’ve certainly never called someone “monstrous” or told them they were “of Satan” because they wouldn’t waive a late fee. (Both are things I’ve been called.) I’ve never screamed into the phone so forcefully that I gave myself a heart attack (This happened to someone else in my business; a resident was complaining over the phone and got so upset that he had a heart attack.) And I’ve never tried to sue someone because he/she wouldn’t let me break a policy which I agreed to observe. (Tenant filed a claim against me because we kept her deposit after she moved out early.)
Take responsibility for yourself and your behavior, people. Alternatively, STAY AWAY FROM MY APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
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