Why Slowing Things Down Is Essential In Mobile Home Park Management

When I first got in the mobile home park business, it seemed like everything came at me always in a sense of emergency. There was no time to act - only react. There were constant threats that if I did not make a decision right then and there the consequences might be crushing. And for about a year or so, I believed every word of it, and I cringed every time the phone rang, because I knew that, even if it was Christmas Eve at 2am, I'd have to run down to the park to solve the latest crisis.

Then it suddenly hit me - I was being scammed. By everyone. The biggest threat to mobile home park management was exactly what I was engaging in, working from a position of speed and terror, and not from one of calm and control. Here's how it happens, and how you can correct it.

Tenants

Mobile home park tenants are very good at using "the system" to their advantage. They know how to manipulate people. These are essential survival skills for most park residents, whether in the park or in prison. They have learned from experience that their best chance of getting what they want is to railroad people into making snap, and bad, decisions, with little information to go by. In their world, everything is a rush and if they don't get what they want right now, they're going to sue you or call the authorities.

I remember getting calls from them in the middle of the night demanding that I be at their home at 7 am to fix their doorknob, or air-conditioning (this is back when I still had rentals) and, if not, they were going to turn me into the authorities. Clearly, this could not go on forever. I was losing my sanity, and the park was losing money.

So one day I just put the brakes on. I turned off my cell phone at 10pm. I did not rush to call tenants back. I did not freak out when they threatened me. And you know what? Nothing happened. I didn't get sued. I didn't wake up to find swarming inspectors. None of the threats came to be.

Now, you can't just hide from your tenants. The first thing you have to do, before you can slow things down, is know the laws. You need to become an expert at landlord/tenant law. And you have to make sure that your park is in decent order and can withstand the scrutiny of an inspection.

The next thing is to let all the calls (unless you recognize the caller I.D.) go to voicemail. This sends a message to tenants that you just don't care enough to be there for them. They need to grow up and take care of themselves. And it insulates you from the screaming threats that most calls include.

When a tenant has a problem, let them know that you'll get to it when you can. You are not making any special exceptions for them. Think like a big company - do you think that your local Saturn dealer is going to drive all night to make your warranty repair? No. They may offer concierge service at the Ritz, but you'll have to charge the tenants $300 per night if they want it.

Vendors

Every repairman, with a few exceptions, that sets foot on your park is wanting to rip you off. Some are very moral people, but darn it, they need cash to cover their bills. Never think anything to the contrary. Give them the same trust as the allies would a German prisoner in WWII. Every time a plumber tells you "you need to re-pipe the entire sewer system starting right now!" tell them you'll have to get multiple opinions and bids, and then you'll get back to them on that breakthrough concept [I might add that I have never re-piped an entire utility system, although I've been told by contractors that it was essential about 100 times].

And even when you have a bid, and are certain the work needs to be done, don't get in a hurry. Look at your budget. Can you afford it right now? I've found that only master-metered gas and electric normally produces life-or-death decision making. The same would be true for failing private water and sewer systems. But the point is, be calm and in control - never be rushed into a bad decision. Look at the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson River. He never got anxious, he stayed level-headed throughout. That's always your best mindset for success.

Conclusion

If you are already past the rushing phase, I'm proud of you. If you are not, then turn over a new leaf that you are getting out of the stress business. Everything can wait a day. There's no reason to be in a hurry. If you can get those pressures behind you, you'll be a lot happier, live a lot longer, and have a more profitable park.