Let this not be an omen
Let me begin by stating that I understand it’s stressful to be a landlord. Let me state that I understand lease provisions that protect the property owner. Let me add that I realize after a bad experience one tends to be more cautious.
However . . .
I hope this doesn’t mean that we will bear the brunt of our LL’s nervousness about renting. When I read the lease I feel like we’ll get our hands smacked if we do anything but sit nicely on the sofa. Now, the lease is reasonable and I’d have said something if it wasn’t but I still feel like I’m going to be watched like a child because she made a foolish decision renting to 20 year-olds last time. I thought she had lived there recently but apparently she thought that renting to three guys in their early 20s with a dog was a good idea. And then she’s worried about the kids and the carpet? I have a feeling I’ll kiss that security deposit goodbye and not because the kids will ruin the place. Maybe it won’t be that way but after her addendum to the lease that included our paying only by cash or money order, I’m anticipating her being a pain in my ass who I’d rather avoid. Let’s just hope she’ll relax and realize that we’re not going to trash her house. My addendum to the lease? A written receipt. Nothing personal.
Speaking of all this, I’m going to have to get her to sign allowing us to install a satellite and to paint. She orally agreed to the satellite but in the lease it states that everything has to be written and that oral agreements weren’t binding (or something to that effect). It’s probably there just to cover her in case someone misunderstands and thinks she said yes to knocking out a wall when in reality she was simply answering her daughter asking to go potty. I picked up some paint samples to stare at that I’ll ask her about. She said it was fine to paint as long as we stick to neutral colors that weren’t super dark. I can understand that. And if we do paint, she just asked that we return it to the colors she painted initially. See? Reasonable. Why am I painting? The paint she used is like a semi-gloss, including on the ceiling and that? That will drive me bananas.
I think it’ll be fine but she seemed kind of nervous and I think she’s gun shy so I’ll go about my life, live like the immaculate human being I am and try not to worry about it.
I started working more on the paperwork aspect of the director position and my head was spinning after awhile. I have to figure out exactly who is playing in Spring, who returned from the Fall, who wants to stay in the loop, who isn’t interested anymore etc. I did some emailing today to touch base with those who I’ll be working with on a regular basis and I’m going to develop some things to make keeping everyone informed a bit easier. Wish me luck!
