It’s not uncommon for a tenant to continue contacting you a landlord rental property owner after they’ve already answered the tenants question when the tenant doesn’t like the answer. Should a rental property landlord feel obligated to continue to respond to a tenant over the same matter? Where should a landlord draw the line.
Hi, there! Joe White here from Grow Property Management, your trusted property management company in Philadelphia.
As a property management company owner, I’ve learned that one of the most important boundaries landlords and rental property owners must set is knowing when to stop engaging with a tenant who simply doesn’t like your answer. It’s common for tenants to make requests -sometimes reasonable, sometimes not. But when you’ve responded clearly and respectfully, and explained your reasoning, you’re under no obligation to keep replying just because the tenant keeps pushing.
Recently, I dealt with a situation that really drove this home. A pet rescue organization reached out to ask if one of our tenants had permission to adopt a dog. She wasn’t someone we placed – we inherited her from another property management company. So I checked the lease, and sure enough, there was no pet provision. She wasn’t approved to have a dog, and the lease didn’t give me any ability to change that without risk to the landlord. It didn’t allow for a pet deposit or outline any protections in the event of damage.
So, I did what I felt was right. I reached out to the tenant and explained clearly: “No, you are not permitted to have a dog under your current lease.” I even clarified that it wasn’t about being anti-pet – it was about following the lease terms and protecting the property owner. I thought that would be the end of it.
Instead, she just kept coming. Emails. Texts. Demands for phone calls. Requests to speak to a supervisor or manager – though she didn’t realize I am the owner of the company. She wanted to escalate it, but there was no higher authority to take it to. And despite having explained everything as thoroughly as possible, she refused to accept the answer.
Situations like this are frustrating, but they’re not uncommon. Tenants often think that if they keep asking, they’ll eventually wear you down and get the response they want. But as a landlord or property manager, you have to protect your time and energy. Once you’ve explained your decision clearly and respectfully, you are under no legal or moral obligation to continue the conversation indefinitely.
In this case, after explaining myself once or twice, I should have simply said, “I consider this matter closed. I will not be responding to further messages about it.” It’s okay to draw that line. You’re not being rude – you’re being professional. Your job is not to be endlessly available, especially when you’re being pressured to reverse a decision you made for valid, documented reasons.
So my advice is simple: don’t let tenants drag you into repeated conversations about the same issue. Respond once or twice with clarity, and then, if needed, firmly close the door on that topic. Respect your time. Set clear boundaries. And remember, you’re not required to work for free just because someone’s unhappy with the answer they received.
Just a humble Philadelphia property manager doing my best to help other landlords navigate the ups and downs of this business. Happy rental property investing!
