Christmas Pressies

I think it is a really good idea to give tenants a gift at Christmas to say ‘thanks’ for being your customer.  Box of chocolates, grocery or gift basket/voucher, it is all a good idea.  Like all gifts, there is beauty in the execution of it, so make sure the wrapping and the presentation is all in keeping with the manner you intended for maximum good will.

Don’t do what this Auckland landlord did.  He put together a gift basket and took it around to his rental property, only to find the tenants were not home.  Not wanting to leave it on the doorstep for it to get rained on or go walking off by itself, he let himself in and left it proudly presented on the kitchen bench.  When the tenants returned from holiday, they were less than impressed with the unauthorized access, and took the matter to Tribunal.  They won.
 
Lesson?  Call before you drop around, and if the tenants are not going to be at home, get explicit permission from the tenants to leave your gift inside (i.e. talk to them) before doing so.  You can imagine the landlord felt pretty hard done by in being penalized by doing a good deed.  However, he really should not have gone inside without notice or permission – no amount of gourmet olives or chocolates would make that right.  Remember, it may be your house, but it is someone else’s home.  Keep out of trouble this Christmas by respecting that.