It is difficult to get a good landlord

As a landlord, I agree with you: either people have landlords that are not very understanding, or the landlords just plain abuse their power and are close to evil people. Here's the thing: tenants really are at our mercy. Landlords tend to have more rights than their tenants. Some landlords use that and abuse it. For many people, it would be hard not to. As a landlord, I've given financial advice to tenants. I've sent thank you notes with grocery store gift cards as a follow up to finally receiving rent on time for two months in a row after a conversation about late rent. Being understanding pays off, and many landlords don't understand that. Because I've been understanding in these situations, I now get rent on time and don't have to make numerous trips to the bank to deposit different rent checks at different times. If I don't respond to a tenant's request for help, they may move out, go somewhere else, and give me the expense of setting up the property for another tenant (all without rent being paid, of course). Also, as a landlord, it is my job to help my tenants with the things I am responsible for in the lease. Real estate isn't a career field where you can just buy a property and get income. You have to continually work for a good relationship with tenants. I'm sorry you've had bad landlords. I sympathize with you for two reasons: one, it must be horrible living, knowing you have to pay rent but can't make it one month, and wondering if you'll be needing to find somewhere else to live soon. Secondly, the tenants I've had seem to be surprised that I'm a "good" landlord, and that bothers me because it means I'm rare. I like being one that they can trust and establish a good business relationship with, but there needs to be more landlords with this mentality. Good luck. :)

I'm a landlord and my tenant is right next door but she's my daughter...and her fiance and my grandchildren, so I'm a nice landlord. Because we're family I do try to be considerate of their problems but my husband and I have a mortgage payment to make every month so many times that's why a landlord isn't considered to be nice...the landlord has bills to pay, too.