July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Landlords repond to letter (5/23/03)
Editor's Mailbag
By To the editor: -
Occasionally it is good to read something which makes one stop and think about the kind of people we are. Others can often see our attitudes, convictions, or prejudices but we are blind to our own ways, whether we identify ourselves with Christ or not.
Such was the letter to the editor on May 15, 2003 from Dawn Dressel. To our knowledge we have never met this lady, but she makes a good point in that families who are moving to our community need a place to dwell. This was our conviction 14 years ago when we decided to go into the house renovation and rental business. We have worked very hard and invested more time, energy than you could imagine providing good quality rental houses and apartments.
As Christians we are called to be good stewards of all the Lord has allowed us to have. In the housing rental business, this calls for much wisdom and discernment as we choose tenants. As Christian landlords we are to take good care of these properties by maintaining them well. Likewise, we strive to find people who will respect our efforts to take care of the property. This takes communication between the tenant and the landlord.
When a landlord has had a bad experience with a tenant, “red, yellow, black or white,” you must remember, we are human, and such experiences can cause us to become very cautious when choosing tenants.
We have stated on more than one occasion, the people of Mexican descent that we have rented to have been among our very best tenants. They were rarely late in payment of the rent. When they moved they made every effort to leave the house or apartment in excellent repair and very clean.
They posed no problems during the period of time in which they rented from us, with the exception of one neighbor “complaining” the food they were cooking smelled so good.
At the present time we have no tenants of Mexican descent. Is this because we are intolerant of prejudice as Christians? No, I do not believe so. As I recall conversations I have had over the phone with people of Mexican descent, some of these fine folks simply do not speak enough of the English language to communicate clearly. This poses a real problem for landlords that like to keep in contact with the tenant and keep the rental property in good repair.
We also like to “fit” a family to the dwelling. Many of us have experienced crowded spaces in our own homes and we know how this often leads to tension among family members. We try to avoid this by limiting the number of tenants in each house or apartment. Again, this takes communication.
Our suggestions for any hardworking folks who are moving into our community who may not have a good command of the English language:
1. Have a friend or relative who fluently speaks English call for you when inquiring about renting.
2. Bring a friend or relative with you who speak both our languages fluently.
3. Make every effort to learn and speak the English language.
Sincerely,
Paul T. and
Diane Copeland
Bryant
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Such was the letter to the editor on May 15, 2003 from Dawn Dressel. To our knowledge we have never met this lady, but she makes a good point in that families who are moving to our community need a place to dwell. This was our conviction 14 years ago when we decided to go into the house renovation and rental business. We have worked very hard and invested more time, energy than you could imagine providing good quality rental houses and apartments.
As Christians we are called to be good stewards of all the Lord has allowed us to have. In the housing rental business, this calls for much wisdom and discernment as we choose tenants. As Christian landlords we are to take good care of these properties by maintaining them well. Likewise, we strive to find people who will respect our efforts to take care of the property. This takes communication between the tenant and the landlord.
When a landlord has had a bad experience with a tenant, “red, yellow, black or white,” you must remember, we are human, and such experiences can cause us to become very cautious when choosing tenants.
We have stated on more than one occasion, the people of Mexican descent that we have rented to have been among our very best tenants. They were rarely late in payment of the rent. When they moved they made every effort to leave the house or apartment in excellent repair and very clean.
They posed no problems during the period of time in which they rented from us, with the exception of one neighbor “complaining” the food they were cooking smelled so good.
At the present time we have no tenants of Mexican descent. Is this because we are intolerant of prejudice as Christians? No, I do not believe so. As I recall conversations I have had over the phone with people of Mexican descent, some of these fine folks simply do not speak enough of the English language to communicate clearly. This poses a real problem for landlords that like to keep in contact with the tenant and keep the rental property in good repair.
We also like to “fit” a family to the dwelling. Many of us have experienced crowded spaces in our own homes and we know how this often leads to tension among family members. We try to avoid this by limiting the number of tenants in each house or apartment. Again, this takes communication.
Our suggestions for any hardworking folks who are moving into our community who may not have a good command of the English language:
1. Have a friend or relative who fluently speaks English call for you when inquiring about renting.
2. Bring a friend or relative with you who speak both our languages fluently.
3. Make every effort to learn and speak the English language.
Sincerely,
Paul T. and
Diane Copeland
Bryant
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