Landlord Lessons: What I Learned the Hard Way

I’ve been a landlord for about fourteen months now, and overall, I’ve been pretty fortunate. Most of my tenants have been respectful, easy to communicate with, and genuinely decent people.

But my most recent experience? Let’s just say it’s had me scratching my head and wondering what, exactly, I got myself into 🤷🏻‍♀️.

As a first-time landlady, I intentionally started small. I chose a mobile home, lower financial risk, manageable upkeep, and a good way to test whether this was something I actually wanted to continue long-term. The place was a little outdated and needed some love, but it was structurally sound and had the potential to be a really cute, comfortable home for someone.

I tend to expand my wings by trying new things, knowing full well that sometimes I’ll get burned. Trial and error is part of learning, and in this case, I followed my heart more than

Lesson 1: Rent Wisely

We all know what we should do. We read the regulations, we understand the importance of references and employment verification, and we tell ourselves we won’t bend the rules.

Then a personal story comes along.

In this situation, I felt genuine compassion for a prospective tenant. Her grandchildren had been taken from their mother, and she was trying to secure housing so they could stay together and avoid foster care. Wanting to help, I set aside my better judgment and focused on her circumstances instead of the facts.

That was my first mistake.

Personal stories can be powerful, and they shouldn’t replace objective screening. Compassion without boundaries often leads to consequences you didn’t sign up for.

Lesson 2: No Lease, No Keys

Never, and I mean never, allow a tenant to move in before the lease agreement and inspection report are fully signed.

It’s easy to assume that people will follow through on their word because you would. Most of us expect others to be like-minded, reasonable, and straightforward. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

I allowed my tenant to move in without a signed Residential Tenancy Agreement, trusting that it would be completed shortly afterward. It wasn’t. Even after multiple follow-ups, the agreement was never signed, which eventually forced me to serve a notice to vacate four months later.

That situation could have been entirely avoided with one firm boundary at the beginning.

Lesson 3: Respect for Property Matters

Whether you’re renting out a luxury home, a cottage, or a modest mobile home, it’s still your property, and it deserves to be treated with care.

Of course, wear and tear happens. Things break from time to time. But when, after months of peace and quiet with previous tenants, there’s suddenly a steady stream of damage, broken door handles, cabinet doors coming off hinges, caved-in air vents, it stops feeling like a coincidence.

Handles don’t break on their own. Cabinet doors don’t fall off without force. Air vents don’t cave in unless something (or someone) jumps on them.

How a tenant treats your property often reflects how they respect agreements, boundaries, and responsibility in general.

Lesson 4: The Move-In Inspection Report Is Critical

The move-in inspection report is one of the most important documents in the landlord–tenant relationship, second only to the lease itself.

It clearly documents the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy so that when a tenant leaves, any damage beyond normal wear and tear is easy to identify and address.

In this case, the tenant refused to review or complete the inspection report at move-in. That will make the move-out process… interesting. Thankfully, I had the foresight to take photos beforehand, which will help protect me when the tenancy ends.

Still, it’s a lesson I won’t forget.

Final Thoughts

I know some people reading this might be thinking, Well, those mistakes were obvious. And you’d be right.

But lessons often become obvious only after you’ve lived them.

I own my missteps, I’ve learned from them, and I won’t be repeating them. If sharing this helps even one new landlord avoid the same pitfalls, then it’s worth putting out there.

Some photos below show the damage caused during this tenancy.

Here’s to clearer boundaries, better screening, and learning as we go.

Namaste,
T xo

---