Why are Management Companies or landlords never mentioned as essential workers?

Why is Management Companies or landlords never mentioned as essential workers? Our maintenance crew not only have to continue to work, but under emergency circumstance they have to enter apartments. The govt is causing us additional hardship, and they don't acknowledge our staff either! We don't have a choice, we can't stay at home and our staff is not appreciated!

We are barely even looked at as professionals. Just a stigmatiam we have to live with.

Homeland Security said housing including apartment complexes are essential.

I know we're legally essential, I just would wish the govt. officials mention our industry in a possitive light!

Sandra Low Breslow I know right ? It’s a HUGE industry.

Omg thank you i am a maintenance tech and i agree 100% we have never been mentioned .

I kind of beg to differ....talking with my property management friends all has them telling me that people, while raw, really appreciate what they are going through. And, I have been sending "thank you " lunches, and making them choose a local place to have it delivered. And yes, there is always a sourpuss in the crowd (or a dozen), but I would bet that the vast majority are thankful for people like you that help them in their home.

Likely because extremely little we do is actually essential. Outside of providing keys for critical maintenance/repairs we don't even need to be in the office. Calling our positions essential is devaluing to people that actually are.

Miles, if you're not in the office, you're doing your owners a injustice! Management team is extremely important during these times. It is you that will control the maintenance, income, and making sure tenants who can pay will. Not sure how you're doing that with out you being there. There is also possibility of leasing at times like this. Our management team have created great videos of empty apartments and they are providing potential tenants with virtual tours. And besides how do you provide keys to maintenance without being there? Pls don't think that property income is not essential!

Sandra Low Breslow We rotate our teams between the office and working from home. That way, if one person in the office catches the virus we don't have to quarantine the whole team. We work smart, for the benefit of our residents.

Sandra Low Breslow I'm not saying I'm we aren't in the office, we just aren't pretending that we are essential. The income and revenue is no more essential than any other income that has been shut off in other businesses, and we rarely would need to be in the office to collect that. That said we are under 2% non payment for April, vacancies are slightly higher than normal for us but still moving along smoothly.
All I'm saying is that just because what we do keeps the funds flowing to owners, doesn't inherently make us essential. If you can't see that then simply look around at all the businesses struggling because they aren't essential. To be clear the essential part of what we do involves habitability, which very low bar and very little of what we do, not generating money. It is very clear that simply loss of revenue isn't a metric for determining essential.

Allison Moen Simpson There definitely is lots of value add, but nothing essential about any of that. For some reason many people seem to thing that making money is essential. One could argue it should be, but it very clearly isn't impacting the determination of that definition.

Miles Scruggs tell the lady who’s hot water tank busted and her floor was soaked with water that we aren’t essential. Our staffs have been on hand the regular office hours just not open to the public. The relief in people’s voice when they call and know we are in the office for them is heard loud and clear. Considering that families are in their homes right now more than ever I do consider us essential. I don’t need a ribbon for doing my job but it would be nice for our industry to be recognized for our hard work during this time instead of vilified for doing our jobs.

Miles Scruggs Not once did I mention money. It has nothing to do with money... it has to do with serving our communities. The bottom dollar is what makes someone disposable but it's the residents who make us essential.

I consider essential/frontline workers as those who are directly putting themselves in danger. Medical for sure, and then food/maintenance. Even though I have stayed working and running my office, I don’t consider myself as frontline. My maintenance guys and cleaners are more frontline than I am.

Lori Doles-Manges You have confused essential with appreciated. Again hot water heater broken is nothing more than calling the 24/7 flood damage and restoration company and having a basic conversation with the tenant about getting a hotel for a few days until their residence can be returned to normal and how their renters insurance will be covering the cost for them.
I would have relief in my voice if my favorite restaurant opened up but that doesn't get them categorized as essential simply because someone appreciates them being there.
All of this thread is some version of: "The majority of what property management does isn't actually considered essential" and many people going: "What I do has value, and people like what I do, so it is essential." People like your hair stylist, and they add value, but.....

Miles Scruggs you clearly haven’t been in property management long. You change the hot water tank with in an hour & call you extraction company to remove the water. You don’t displace your resident for that. Not to mention families at this time are home schooling kids because of the shelter in place orders. I also forgot to mention the lack of hotel rooms too. Good Luck to you Mr. Scruggs I won’t debate this with you further. My maintenance men are essential to their residents.

Lori Doles-Manges many things maintenance is doing is essential. And yes being displaced is simply their choice you just let them know the option and dispatch the actually essential people to go fix the problem. Again this discussion wasn’t about maintenance contractors or in house. It was about property managers and the majority of what we do isn’t actually essential. We like to think and pretend that most of what we do is but it really isn’t. Unless your managers are out spending most of their time actually performing plumbing repairs or addressing actual habitability issues themselves.

I’m in an hoa management company and we never closed and it’s under the infrastructure essential businesses category

Be thankful your working! Most don’t have that luxury and still face getting the virus!

So I know how essential we are. I have witnessed it first hand in the last 2 months. Since our office is closed to the public, you would be surprised how much my phone rings, vendors reach out and residents knock on the door. I am proud of my essential self and my team/company. We try! I give two hoots if I am acknowledged because I know as do my residents and that is what it is all about.

Agreed! I’ve been shouting this since the beginning! Thank you to all the on-site teams!

They are listed as essential in my state. Anything pertaining to shelter. The governor did give clarification in Nevada that we are classified as essential and work orders still need to be done. Not sure what state you’re in so I get the frustration.

Technically, everyone, in most industries, are "essential" as we all provide a service to someone... We're just a small part. There are millions still working with the public in multiple industries. No reason for us to be singled out.

I thank them for their work daily. They don’t feel hurt the news etc doesn’t mention them. They are adults.

We are essential but not moreso than frontline workers. We get the choice to restrict our visitors whereas medical workers have to treat everyone personally.

Under federal definition we are listed.

We are considered essential here in SC.

All I was saying is our industry can not close down, our maintenance is on the frontline along with our management team.
Our staff has been incredible, but all I hear on the news is rent forbearance or rent strikes. Never do I hear on the news a reminder to be kind to our industry.
We provided food for every tenant in our 220 unit property, and it was our team that coordinated that. This was also a way to support our local restaurants, but you never hear anything positive from our industry on the news. Our team appreciates having a job and we appreciate each other. The whole team got bonuses, but other than ourselves, we are invisible!

Because bad news is more interesting than good unfortunately..big bad landlords.

The good news is your residents know how essential you are, especially after providing meals for the community. You will reap the reward and recognition where it matters, in resident satisfaction and lease renewals. Good luck to you!