Another rental Q - reasonable times for showings?

[vanillacourage]

One of my properties is up for lease, the first time I've had to rent it while the current tenants are still living there.  In your experience, what is too early or too late in the day for showings? 

I'm trying to be as respectful of my tenants as I can, but she sent me a snippy text after I did a 9:45 showing last Saturday morning that "in general, we would prefer these be conducted later in the day".  Which, is not really up to her to set parameters as long as I'm abiding by the 24-hour notice, and I've had people ask for showings as early as 8:45 and re-directed them to later hours. 

ETA - I've told them they are welcome to stay in the house for the showings, the only request I've made is that their dog (Great Dane, in an 1100 sq ft house) be kenneled.

[ECB]

I think anything after 9am is fair game. I know when I was house hunting, I wanted to get out early and get it done.

I think showings shouldnt' be scheduled after 7pm. MAYBE 8 if necessary, but if there are kids in the picture, that could be REALLY hard to work around.

[ECB]

I actually think 10 is fair too. Just my life w/ a kid - I'm up so early anyhow, I have a screwy sense of time.

So - for them to be annoyed at 9:45 would peeve me. How much later do they want? Afternoon? Um.... if the realtor's clients want to go at 9:45, then your tenant needs to suck it up. That's close enough to 10 to be reasonable.

[vanillacourage]

Well, actually I had a showing scheduled already at 10, and asked the other people to come at 9:45 so I could do them back-to-back instead of having two showings spread throughout the day.

[dexteroni]

I would reply to the current tenant letting them know that you will try to schedule showings later in the day when you can, but that it won't always be possible, and that you will always give them at least a 24-hour notification.

Did they know in advance about the 9:45 showing? You said you followed the 24-hour rule, but a snippy text after the fact makes it sound like they didn't know.

[mrshabious]

Jeez, I was going to say 9 am. As for how late, we would get annoyed anytime after 7 really. That's pleny of time to get off of work and see a place or two.

[takeonyou]

I think 9am to 7pm is reasonable. If she had 24 hours notice she has no right to be snippy.

[osumelissa]

As a current renter, nothing between 10 am and 7 pm would bother me if my landlord asked to show the place.

[kwynn]

9am to 8pm is fair to me as a renter. As a woman alone, I prefer not to have strange ppl coming in at night knowing I live alone...but ehhh....

[msmerymac]

9am is the latest time I'd start on the weekends! That's BS that, with 24 hours' notice, they can't get themselves up and dressed and out of the house by 9:45 on a Saturday. It might not be their ideal Saturday morning if they prefer to lounge around, but they can make a few sacrifices.

I'd show until 8pm any night of the week.

[regina22]

I don't get up before 10am on the weekends, so I can understand why she was annoyed. Ultimately, you're the landlord and you can schedule it whenever you want. But I can see why she'd be snippy.

[midnightmare81]

I think its fair to say 10-7. I understand wanting to get it rented, but I would be a bit miffed if I had showings on my only days off that required me to get up and not have a chance to sleep in. And if you schedule one at 8am, and they stay looking for a bit, the people wouldn't have a lot of time to get ready and go to bed and still have down time. I would hate to constantly leave the house every time there was someone wanting to look no matter my own schedule (I.E working early in the morning meaning early bed time, getting home late and wanting to sleep in but having showings, ect.). I would either want a drop in rent for the inconvenience or at least certain days where I would know I could just relax and not have to worry about leaving during dinner, getting up early, ect.

[mccallister84]

I guess I would apologize and ask if a 10-7 window is okay. I know you're within your rights as a landlord, but I would find it to be a major inconvenience as a renter. Additionally, I would want to keep them (relatively) happy so that the place stays neater and they don't trash it upon move out.

However, I can definitely be a pushover, so take that for what it's worth.

[vanillacourage]

Feb 13, 2013 21:00:13 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

I would either want a drop in rent for the inconvenience or at least certain days where I would know I could just relax and not have to worry about leaving during dinner, getting up early, ect.

You can want these things, but as a tenant you're in no way entitled to them.

Thanks for your thoughts, all. I was thinking 9:30-7ish (but doing my best not to make it that early if avoidable) was reasonable and it sounds like that's about right. I probably just need to quickly touch base with my tenant. I've actually only had the two showings so far but they will pick up in the near future.

[midnightmare81]

Feb 13, 2013 21:11:46 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Feb 13, 2013 21:00:13 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

I would either want a drop in rent for the inconvenience or at least certain days where I would know I could just relax and not have to worry about leaving during dinner, getting up early, ect.

You can want these things, but as a tenant you're in no way entitled to them.

Thanks for your thoughts, all. I was thinking 9:30-7ish (but doing my best not to make it that early if avoidable) was reasonable and it sounds like that's about right. I probably just need to quickly touch base with my tenant. I've actually only had the two showings so far but they will pick up in the near future.

Why are your tenants leaving? I understand they are not entitled to them, but at the same time, it seems unfair to expect them to uproot their lives for a couple months when they will likely be stressed as trying to plan and pack for their own move. I said this assuming you were doing showing often of coarse, like at least 1 per day 7 days a week. If it is only a few times a week, that would be different, since they are still getting down time the days there are no showings.

I was also going to give you kudos for allowing renters to have large dogs. It can be very difficult to find a place to live, so its nice to see some landlords allow them still.

[vanillacourage]

Well, it's written into their lease that I'm allowed to do showings, so they knew it going in. So far there have just been two, done back to back. The next ones will happen a calendar week later, this Saturday.

Their dog is HUGE but a total sweetheart. I told them when they moved in that I was more ok with them getting a Great Dane that would lay around on the couch all day vs a terrier breed that would use the woodwork as an outlet for nervous energy.

[aspentosh]

Feb 13, 2013 15:46:52 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Well, actually I had a showing scheduled already at 10, and asked the other people to come at 9:45 so I could do them back-to-back instead of having two showings spread throughout the day.

If that's the case, you're doing all you can.

9:45am is fine. I'd say anything after 9am on weekends or before 7pm.

[aspentosh]

Seriously, people are complaining that 9:45 is too early yet 10am is ok? It's 15 freaking minutes. Come on.

[y4m]

Feb 13, 2013 21:11:46 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Feb 13, 2013 21:00:13 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

I would either want a drop in rent for the inconvenience or at least certain days where I would know I could just relax and not have to worry about leaving during dinner, getting up early, ect.

You can want these things, but as a tenant you're in no way entitled to them.

Thanks for your thoughts, all. I was thinking 9:30-7ish (but doing my best not to make it that early if avoidable) was reasonable and it sounds like that's about right. I probably just need to quickly touch base with my tenant. I've actually only had the two showings so far but they will pick up in the near future.

Wait what on earth?? Of course they are entitled to use the house they pay you money for as they see fit.

If you scheduled back to back showings for weeks, that's just tough titties because they are renters? If a 3am showing were convenient for someone to see it, you think you'd have a right to show it, as long as you give 24 hours of notice? Asking that showings not be every day seems extremely reasonable to me.

I have a chip on my shoulder about this because we're going through it now at tenants, and it's funny how the board took the opposite tone with me when I asked this question from a tenant perspective.

I'd play nice with them. The lease may say you get to show it, but I bet it doesn't say they have to be dressed or kennel the dog or do any dishes this month. So try to treat them like people, and not like a convenient source of income on a property while you also get to use it for your own purposes.

[aspentosh]

Feb 14, 2013 8:00:47 GMT -5 y4m said:

Feb 13, 2013 21:11:46 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

You can want these things, but as a tenant you're in no way entitled to them.

Thanks for your thoughts, all. I was thinking 9:30-7ish (but doing my best not to make it that early if avoidable) was reasonable and it sounds like that's about right. I probably just need to quickly touch base with my tenant. I've actually only had the two showings so far but they will pick up in the near future.

Wait what on earth?? Of course they are entitled to use the house they pay you money for as they see fit.

If you scheduled back to back showings for weeks, that's just tough titties because they are renters? If a 3am showing were convenient for someone to see it, you think you'd have a right to show it, as long as you give 24 hours of notice? Asking that showings not be every day seems extremely reasonable to me.

I have a chip on my shoulder about this because we're going through it now at tenants, and it's funny how the board took the opposite tone with me when I asked this question from a tenant perspective.

I'd play nice with them. The lease may say you get to show it, but I bet it doesn't say they have to be dressed or kennel the dog or do any dishes this month. So try to treat them like people, and not like a convenient source of income on a property while you also get to use it for your own purposes.

I, personally, took your side (as the tenant) because they were scheduling them for certain times and showing up way early or late.

Scheduling two showings within 15 minutes of each other is not a huge inconvenience, assuming people showed up on time. I actually think it's a nice thing to try and do as a landlord- schedule close together and be done with it for the day.

It's absurd to say a 3am showing would be fine. No where did VC say that was the plan. In fact she said "I'm trying to be as respectful of my tenants as I can..."

[scout8]

When I take a listing occupied by tenants, I tell them when showings typically take place. Then, I ask them if those times are generally ok with them. If they say no, then I put right in my showing instructions on the listing, "no showings before X". I would rather keep the tenants happy and have them cooperative, even if it means that my showing times are more limited.

[penguingrrl]

I'd say that after 9 is reasonable on weekdays, 10 on weekends is generous but something I would do. I would say 7 is reasonable on the evening end because it may take a while for the tenants to look around. That would throw a huge wrench in bed time at my house (my kids have lights out at 7:30) but if it was only once or twice we'd deal knowing that it was necessary.

[y4m]

Feb 14, 2013 8:15:28 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

I, personally, took your side (as the tenant) because they were scheduling them for certain times and showing up way early or late.

Scheduling two showings within 15 minutes of each other is not a huge inconvenience, assuming people showed up on time. I actually think it's a nice thing to try and do as a landlord- schedule close together and be done with it for the day.

It's absurd to say a 3am showing would be fine. No where did VC say that was the plan. In fact she said "I'm trying to be as respectful of my tenants as I can..."

It sounded to me like VC did exactly what my landlords have been doing. She had a 10am showing, and when a possibility for a 9:45 showing that would be convenient for her came up, she went ahead and did it. The angry text after makes me think that wasn't cleared with the tenants, as does the fact that she was specifically asked in this thread whether she also cleared 9:45 and she hasn't addressed that. So basically she showed up 15 minutes early to do two showings instead of the one that was cleared because it was convenient for her.

My hackles really went up when VC said the tenants can ask for the luxury of showing-free days, but they are certainly not entitled to it because of what's in the lease. I'm just suggesting that before she play her "that's what in the lease" card, she make sure everything she would ever want them to do here (get dressed, kennel the dog, do dishes, make the bed) is also in the lease. Because two can play that game.

[yellowbelly86]

As a renter I would not have a problem with the landlord showing the property but I would hope that the times would be reasonable.For someone such as myself who does not have children,works 60 hrs a week on top of full time night classes,I would be highly irritated to have to wake up before 10am on the weekends.

[ssmjlm]

As an early riser, anything after 9am on a weekend would be fine, but I know not everyone is a morning person.

For me, I would much rather have to deal with an earlier wake-up on a weekend than after work when I'm generally exhausted and just want to get comfortable, eat dinner and veg.

I can see both sides as I can remember our landlord in grad school not giving us ANY heads up that people were coming to look at our house, despite our repeated requests for him to follow the 24 hour rule.

[vanillacourage]

Oh for heaven's sake y4M, chill out.  I have done TWO SHOWINGS on the house so far.  The 10am was already scheduled, and I had someone else ask if they could come that day as well. They wanted to come either at 9am or later in the afternoon - I told them we could do 9:45 or 10:15, because to be courteous to my tenants I try to book the showings back-to-back to minimize disruptions.  Weren't you JUST complaining that your landlord scheduled three showings in the day, at like 10 am, 1pm and 3, and it totally screwed up your day?  And yes, the tenants were given proper notice that the first showing would be at 9:45. 

I am a good landlord, and courteous to my tenants.  But some inconvenience is just part of the deal when you rent and then give notice that you're going to move out.  Maybe you don't get to lay in bed until 11am on a Saturday when traditionally, Saturday mornings have been the "hottest" times when people have wanted me to do showings.  It's part of the deal of renting vs. owning your own home.

[y4m]

Dude--did you or did you not tell the tenants you'd be there at 10 and then show up at 9:45?

Because yeah, I'd be rightfully pissed if you did that and I was your tenant.

[vanillacourage]

Feb 14, 2013 9:18:21 GMT -5 y4m said:

Dude--did you or did you not tell the tenants you'd be there at 10 and then show up at 9:45?

Because yeah, I'd be rightfully pissed if you did that and I was your tenant.

They were told 2 days in advance of the 10am, and told early in the afternoon 1 day before that there was an additional showing 15 minutes earlier.  The horror!

[rubytue]

Feb 13, 2013 21:11:46 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Feb 13, 2013 21:00:13 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

I would either want a drop in rent for the inconvenience or at least certain days where I would know I could just relax and not have to worry about leaving during dinner, getting up early, ect.

You can want these things, but as a tenant you're in no way entitled to them.

I'm not a lawyer, but in my research before becoming a LL, I learned that tenants have the right to quiet enjoyment of the property. Apparently it has little to do with noise, but more to with interference and disruption.

So, I'd be careful thinking tenants are not entitled to relax in their home. It might be your house, but it's their home right now.

[shopgirl07]

Listen, the tenants obviously are not fans of the earlier showings. Some people wouldn't mind, but they do. So as a courtesy, and to keep the peace, just schedule any showings later in the morning or in the afternoon. If you have a prospective tenant who absolutely has to see the place early then you'll have to deal with that but, in the meantime, just grant them this request.