THE "VACANT" UNIT

Once upon a time, a broker was set to show a condo unit to a client. As usual, he told the owner about the viewing the day before, and the owner confirmed.

The owner was a friend and had given the broker a spare key.

When they walked in, something felt off. There were used dishes in the sink, a dumbbell in the middle of the floor and a wet towel lying around.

The broker knew the owner sometimes stayed over, but this looked like someone was living there. So he called the owner and asked if he'd been using the unit lately.

The owner had no idea. After a few calls, he found out that his brother had already leased the unit to someone else, without telling him.

Luckily, the tenant wasn't home. Imagine stepping out of the shower and finding two strangers in your living room. It would have been a complete invasion of the tenant's privacy, and a very awkward conversation for everyone.

Lessons:

For brokers, always ring the doorbell and knock before using a key, even if you were told the unit is empty.

For owners, assign one person to handle your rental property. When more than one family member can lease it out, sooner or later something like this will happen.