Another Day, Another Dollar
I am a resident manager of a 217 unit apartment complex in Ohio. I am responsible for more than 500 residents and each day brings with it new challenges and new experiences. This blog will probably center mostly on the day to day events that happen on the job and in the lives of my tenants, employees and superiors.
In this business you see just about every walk of life. We are an older complex built around 1981 and we are not on the upper scale of our community. We have had quite a reputation for some time before I began working here but I've been determined to see that change.
The community I am in is mostly rural but has had quite a bit of money thrown at it over the past few years and the population is growing by leaps and bounds. Quite a few of these people moving into the area are people from other countries, mostly Mexico though. Many of them are not here legally and it has created quite a few problems with tracking tenants. The majority are still white, country people who really aren't that interested in being a melting pot.
The schools and government offices here are state of the art because we are located around a lot of businesses and amusement parks. It's quite breathtaking to see how beautiful this town is and surprising.
Since we seem to be the oldest apartment complex around, we tend to draw those who I would label lower middle to near poverty level. It makes my job very difficult.
It is difficult to assess who will be a good tenant when most don't make a lot of money, most don't have the best backgrounds and yet they are the only ones applying for apartments. The people with money are buying houses, condos or moving into apartments that cost near $1,000 a month to live in. So, I have to pick out the best I can find. Let's face it. People who are on the low end of the socio-economic level tend to have criminal background or behavior, so it makes being a resident manager very difficult. Do I take people in who might cause trouble just to keep the place full, thus continuing the reputation or do I turn these people away and lose money because of vacancies? It's a hard decision and unfortunately upper management doesn't really care and depending on their mood they hit you with one or the other saying I need to try harder.
For example, I can get yelled at for the vacancies, even though I've been getting rid of the trash and the next screaming session could be about the trash that lives here and how I need to get rid of them. It's not easy being me.
It would be worth it if I made good money but I make nothing compared to most managers in my line and quanitity of units. This creates it's own challenge. How much do I give to a job that I know may not be there tomorrow and will not reward me the appropriate value of my efforts? Then again, I cannot just give up and get by because my work ethic will not allow it. Plus, even though the owner is cheap with his pay, his expectations are rich. Oh well, such is life working in the private sector, especially for a family run business. As most family run businesses, it tends to be as dysfunctional as the family itself. It's not pretty.
Well, I just wanted to lay the foundation for some of the stories you will be reading as I post in the future. Hope you find it enjoyable.
In this business you see just about every walk of life. We are an older complex built around 1981 and we are not on the upper scale of our community. We have had quite a reputation for some time before I began working here but I've been determined to see that change.
The community I am in is mostly rural but has had quite a bit of money thrown at it over the past few years and the population is growing by leaps and bounds. Quite a few of these people moving into the area are people from other countries, mostly Mexico though. Many of them are not here legally and it has created quite a few problems with tracking tenants. The majority are still white, country people who really aren't that interested in being a melting pot.
The schools and government offices here are state of the art because we are located around a lot of businesses and amusement parks. It's quite breathtaking to see how beautiful this town is and surprising.
Since we seem to be the oldest apartment complex around, we tend to draw those who I would label lower middle to near poverty level. It makes my job very difficult.
It is difficult to assess who will be a good tenant when most don't make a lot of money, most don't have the best backgrounds and yet they are the only ones applying for apartments. The people with money are buying houses, condos or moving into apartments that cost near $1,000 a month to live in. So, I have to pick out the best I can find. Let's face it. People who are on the low end of the socio-economic level tend to have criminal background or behavior, so it makes being a resident manager very difficult. Do I take people in who might cause trouble just to keep the place full, thus continuing the reputation or do I turn these people away and lose money because of vacancies? It's a hard decision and unfortunately upper management doesn't really care and depending on their mood they hit you with one or the other saying I need to try harder.
For example, I can get yelled at for the vacancies, even though I've been getting rid of the trash and the next screaming session could be about the trash that lives here and how I need to get rid of them. It's not easy being me.
It would be worth it if I made good money but I make nothing compared to most managers in my line and quanitity of units. This creates it's own challenge. How much do I give to a job that I know may not be there tomorrow and will not reward me the appropriate value of my efforts? Then again, I cannot just give up and get by because my work ethic will not allow it. Plus, even though the owner is cheap with his pay, his expectations are rich. Oh well, such is life working in the private sector, especially for a family run business. As most family run businesses, it tends to be as dysfunctional as the family itself. It's not pretty.
Well, I just wanted to lay the foundation for some of the stories you will be reading as I post in the future. Hope you find it enjoyable.
posted by MediaGod at 8:12 PM
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