Sorry guys just need to vent.

We only have 2 lease termination options, pay termination fee equivalent to a months rent or rent responsible. Resident was so upset and arguing with me to just let them out since theyve lived there for 4 yrs. explained options, fair housing etc. he wasn’t happy with me so he called my regional told her i was too strictly business and so policy driven. Regional spoke to me and sounded she was taking sides with the resident and even thinks i probably was too straightforward and needs to communicate with fluff.

Also eversince shes been hired she only visited once a week and will not stay for more than 3 hrs so how would she know how i deal with an irate resident..

Ive been the property mgr for that site for about 6 years now.she started with the company as regional and her 2nd year now. Fairly new to the industry.

Fluff doesn’t work in this business!

Leases and Company Policies are made for a reason.
A Fair Housing lawsuit would not be good thing for any employee or company. What you do for one you do for all. Stick to Lease Terms and Company Policies.

Sometimes you gotta tell it like it is.

Policies are there for a reason. No fluff but be polite. Tone and body language speak louder than words. I sympathize but let them know unfortunately there is nothing we can do.

Brandy Blazen thank you Brandy. I was not rude nor blunt to the resident. I was even speaking on a lower tone so I wont come accross harsh. Im glad my office is always open and had a witness on how i was speaking but unfortunately i dont get why a regional would not find out both sides of the story first before making comments. Also shes been hired she only visits once a week and will not stay for more than 3 hrs so how would she know how i deal witn irate residents

Janalee Victoria its unfortunate. Sounds like she is a push over for residents. She should have your back and follow policy herself to avoid residents bypassing you and going straight to her to get what thay want. Words spreads fast with residents so she is opening a can of worms she will soon regret.

Some people can't handle not getting their way

I’d be frustrated as well if my boss didn’t support me under those conditions. Does she not understand the position you’d be putting yourself in? The fair housing and potential liability? The resident signed the lease and the termination addendum I assume and therefore takes responsibility for what they sign. I’m not insensitive to the fact they may have had a life change event but those policies have to be applied equally to everyone. I understand your frustration.

Big mistake by the regional! Criticizing you for following established polices and giving the owners money away at the same time is not a great career move. Just refer the tenant to the regional for special deals and keep good notes.

Bullshit. You have to back up your onsite leaders. You should be empowered not overridden

If you worked for me, you’d get a pay raise!! If you’re regional manager worked for me, they’d get fired!!
This is a former customer, will never be a customer again...

That is very frustrating.

As a Regional myself, if you were communicating the facts of the lease you did nothing wrong. Delivery can always be different in certain scenarios but that doesn’t change the facts. Plus you should always have your teams back, unless they’re doing something against policy or illegal. I’m a huge advocate for my onsite teams, they make it happen daily!!

Oh hell no!! Straight forward is ALWAYS the better way to go. You try "fluffy" and they come back after their whole deposit has been forfeited saying you lied.

Lease policies are non-negotiable... your Regional should pay his lease break from her salary if she’s so concerned with enforcing the lease!

She should have backed you because had you done the other then she would have been mad maybe written you up for not following policy. Just remember word traveles fast, so do for one you must do for all ????

The lease is written for a reason, so follow the f$&() thing correct.... Correct????

Sounds like the regional is a newbie who has lack of experience and doesn’t have a back bone. ????????‍♀️

Boy nothing pisses me off more then a regional who pushes policy UNTIL you get an upset resident. They come in to play hero and gives the resident what they want. Heads up regionals..... back your site managers. They are boots on the ground while you are wearing the Cinderella slippers. Residents lose respect for the property manager when they know they can go straight to the regional. So if you are a regional , remember where you came from. Your managers make it happen with their team!

Hang in there. You are right, your Regional does need to invest more time at your site...maybe not every week, but once in a while. If she's not spending a great deal of time there, this means she has confidence that you can handle your property without her needing to be there. Try to take something away from how she coached you...we all need to be constantly improving. You got this.

There is an art to telling people "No". I had someone who thought they could just go over my head to the regional, and detecting that's where they were headed, I deflated their momentum by saying, "Well, we've looked at your lease together, and I just don't see how we can let you out, but let me run this by regional. Can I call you back tomorrow morning?". Bam! I'M back in control of this situation. My perspective with my supervisor is that "this person wants to just skip out on their lease with no penalty. I know that we adhere to Fair Housing so we can't allow it, but I told her I'd run it by you. I really think she needed to know that someone at corporate had input in this, and if it's no from you too, then she'll accept it and go on".
1.) Regional agreed and appreciated the communication
2). Resident understood
3). Situation resolved
4). We didn't violate fair housing.

I am literally going through the same thing. All of these comments are so helpful. So sorry you are going through this, but speaking out has helped me! Thank you

If it bothers you that mucj ask your regional if you can meet for lunch and discuss it. All these comments dissing the regional will not do anything for you.

Your lease if your lease and yes fair housing.

I’ve always supported my Managers and reiterate exactly the same verbiage they do while dealing with residents. Why? Because I taught then well. It doesn’t matter how you say it with “fluff” or not, they will always want to go above the site level to Regional level. You did the right thing by keeping to policy and standing by the lease per agreement. Your Regional obviously doesn’t know you by not spending ample time to know how you operate to have your back. That is lazy and not being a good leader. Unless she wants to have everyone come to her instead of you - let her make the wrong moves, not you. I would have told you that you were correct and backed you like a good Regional should.

This was a problem for me early in my career. What does the lease say? I would quote it verbatim. And although you are right, this isn't a "customer friendly" approach. You can't always tell a resident what they want to hear, but you can tell them in a way that softens the blow. It takes practice, trust me it took me years as I am pretty blunt and straightforward, but if you can throw in just a little softer language it can make a difference. Like "I am so sorry that we are unable to help you, I understand why this is frustrating..." I also try to relate it to a personal experience if possible. You are still conveying the same message about the lease, but in a way that is easier to swallow and less hard and fast.

Sounds like my past Regional, feel your frustration! I had 15+ years experience and she was fresh out of college with no on-site experience.

I can’t say that I know the policies of your company regarding RM visits to the site, but your expectations seem high. Regional Managers at large REITs and Fee Managed companies usually visit once a month and are at the property for 4-6 hours. It’s just meant to be a check-in, with maybe a quarterly full day or two pre-audit. Your post does not state whether your RM has ever been a site-level manager or how much experience she has. She might know how this would turn out if this was escalated to the owner or VP. If this is your direct supervisor, try to figure out her decisions ahead of time and offer the solution to her before she can. It will change your relationship.

Upper. Management. Must. Back. Up. Staff.
Period!!
As owners we expect our regionals to visit our properties once a month.

Regionals need to back us up or it undermines our authority, luckily my regional is pretty good about that.

Amen sister! I totally understand

You're personally liable under the Fair Housing law. You can personally be sued for a fair housing violation and there's nothing the company can do to protect you, so tell the regional to go take a hike.

Why does the company not change policies. It's not that you are too strict it is the policy is strict. I have managed Tax Credit, RD, HUD, and privately owned properties. All of our policies have always been 1st year you have to do a buy out after the 1st year they have to give a 30 written notice. It's not a Fair Housing issue if you add it to your Lease, Rules and Regulations. I have not always agreed with my regional but I have always respected them and called them to make sure they know the situation before the hear from the resident. If they told me to do something different I request it in writing, if the won't put it in writing I sent an e-mail that stated the situation and put when I spoke to you on (date and time) I understood you to say for me to do(.....) Is this the correct to handle(.....). If I do not here back from you by (date) I will proceed according to your instructions.

This way either she sends you the instructions she wants you to follow or she doesn't answer and you proceed with the instruction listed above....make sure you send the e-mail where it shows when it is read by the person you send it to. That way you are covered and if there is a law suit you are covered.

Of course this has only worked for me for 38 years.

All commiseration aside, you could handle it the old passive/aggressive way by letting her move, then billing her after the fact. The Regional will then have to deal all on her own.

It's a cut & dry subject with the resident. That's the policy (and hopefully you have the lease buy out policy as part of your lease)& obviously you are applying it the same way to any other resident in the same situation.

The regional wasn't there to hear the discussion & residents do not like to hear that they're going to owe a bunch of money so they're always going to be unhappy to hear that news.