Having a professional landlord is essential when renting a property. You do not want a landlord that will do the minimum amount of work, that will leave the property in a terrible condition for you, that will refuse to help, and that will cause a mountain of trouble. While everyone likes to focus on the issues and concerns with tenants, the tenants should see the landlord in the same way. You want to make a smart choice here for the sake of your finances and sanity. With the variety of people getting into property ownership and renting, there is no saying what you will find. Remain smart and approach this with a goal in mind for your own sake.
Speak to the landlord and try to keep them honest, transparent, and friendly. See if they are all of these things. You do not want someone who will likely lie to you or who will hide things. You do not want someone who will trick you. Find one that will work with you to keep everything on track and you satisfied.
Attentiveness is vital. A landlord should be there when there is an issue. Whether the AC breaks or you want to upgrade something, they should be there to help you find a solution. Someone who ignores your problems and keeps you in a terrible condition will only cause problems for you. They will leave you with costs and hassles that you should not have. The worst part about this is that, sometimes, ignoring your needs can cause some serious problems with your health. If you have a broken AC during a time of extreme weather conditions, you may not be able to stay in the home due to comfort. Do not take these risks. Find someone who cares.
Dependability and quick results are important, too. You want someone who is there to help you when you need help, working quickly to produce positive results. Having someone who may or may not show up will only be a headache. If the landlord expects you to remain dependable with your payments, you should expect them to remain dependable with their care and assistance.
Having a landlord with empathy can help when in a tough spot. If you cannot afford rent in the moment due to difficult circumstances, your landlord should understand and work with you. While this does not mean that they should let you live in their property for free or pay rent late consistently, it does mean that they should help you to their best ability.
Someone focused on your, the client, is what all of this is about. The property and the money are important, as always, but you should not suffer because of it. If the landlord only cares about saving money, then they may not care about you. You may not receive the care and assistance that you need. They may result in continued damage or issues with the property and a landlord that refuses to lift a finger to help.