Moving in: Set yourself up for success in a fresh tenancy
A new season is right around the corner with many incoming students and all sorts of housing transitions. It’s a great time – for both renters and housing providers – to think proactively about building positive relationships - for new and for ongoing situations. Conflict and miscommunications are natural and to be expected, so how can you lay the groundwork now to smoothly navigate these challenges later? For this post, we’ll explore some tips for doing just that, and setting others up for success in working with you. You’ll also learn more specifically how this looks in relation to utilities and energy in our interview with Puget Sound Energy, along with tips about their programs and opportunities for reducing costs and impact!
Included in this article:
Housing Stability Tips - Conflict prevention for housing relationships
Exploring Utility Affordability and Sustainability - Interview with Puget Sound Energy
Housing Stability Tips
Conflict Prevention for new (or ongoing!) housing relationships
Share Pertinent Information
First and foremost, housing relationships typically entail some amount of upfront expectations whether in a lease agreement, roommate contract, or otherwise. We strongly encourage everyone to read contracts closely and ensure everyone has a shared understanding of what they mean. Most of us have, at some point, signed something without reading it thoroughly. You can help one another succeed in this and get on the same page by inviting discussion or questions about anything you’ll be signing, or even suggesting a meeting to read through it together.
Beyond the contracts, other kinds of information can be critical for working well together and avoiding miscommunication. Through mediation we often support housing clients in clarifying crucial details, such as who a tenant’s point of contact is in their property management company, or why someone hasn’t been receiving messages. It can be quite challenging to get your needs met and communicate clearly without such information, and we encourage clarifying upfront how you can be most successful in reaching each other for various needs.
If you consider a current or ongoing tenancy/housing relationship, what might you share or ask that could make the relationship and communication more effective? It is valuable to keep in mind that something that seems obvious to one person is typically not for someone else. Consider the following examples:
How and with whom should you communicate about rent payments, maintenance, or times away?
Do others know the best way to reach you? For example, do you often miss phone calls but always respond to an email?
Do you have contact (and emergency contact) information for all of your housemates?
When is the best time for others to talk with you? Do you avoid at all cost making decisions or having chit-chat before you’ve had coffee, or after a long workday?
Build a foundation of trust
A lack of trust can be a huge barrier to effectively working together, and when things go awry, mistrust develops easily - especially when there’s no previously established positive relationship. The level of intimacy and interaction varies widely depending on the type of housing relationship, but even small actions go a long way towards building trust when they show reliability/consistency, honesty and care for the other person’s experience and the relationship. Here are some examples:
When you say you’ll do something, you set accurate expectations and follow through (paying rent by the 5th, washing the dishes in the sink before going to bed, picking up after pets, making promised repairs).
You respond promptly and consistently to communications (returning someone’s text, email, or call as soon as you can, even just to let them know you’ve received it and will respond later - and getting back to them in the timeframe you said you would!).
You invite them to reach out if they need anything (and make time when they do reach out) to show that you want to be helpful and care about their needs.
You let them know right away about an issue or potential challenge. “The sink just started leaking, I put a bowl under it but wanted to let you know right away so it doesn’t turn into a bigger problem!” or “I’m going to be out of service for the next two weeks, anything you need to touch base about before I go?”
You follow up about arrangements you’ve made. “How is the new chore schedule feeling for you?”, “Maintenance said they came over Wednesday; is everything working so far?”
When miscommunications and challenges do arise, the trust you’ve established can make it much easier to work together, and help to buffer against the negative assumptions that often accompany conflict - or the occasional interaction when you were just having a bad day!
Have a plan to address issues
Conflict and miscommunication are natural - expect them! Discussing ahead of time how you plan to resolve challenges can reduce the stress of navigating conflict when it does arise. Here are some considerations:
If you’re a property manager with a formalized process for addressing issues already, you might go over it with a tenant and ask how they see that working for them, or if they have questions.
You might make agreements about how and when outside parties would be involved. For example; limiting discussions about the conflict until you’ve had a chance to address it with the other party directly - or -agreeing to seek out third-party help like mediation if you get stuck.
Plan to have difficult conversations in person or at least voice to voice whenever possible. Set up a meeting time when both/all people can give the issue their full attention. *Don’t try to resolve conflicts on an empty stomach!*
Capture your plan in writing so that everyone can refer back to it when needed.
Having this conversation and plan ahead of time can help you to know at least your first next steps when issues arise. It can also lay the groundwork for approaching challenges as something to tackle jointly through your mutually agreed process, rather than as opponents.
Utility Affordability and Sustainability
Interview with Puget Sound Engergy
These thoughts and statements are from an interview on April 23, 2024. The WDRC is gathering this information to raise awareness and understanding of the resources and opportunities in our area and help community members more easily find and access what they need. We are not the authority on these resources, and we encourage you to reach out to providers to learn more and stay up to date on changes that may occur.
Puget Sound Energy offers many programs and opportunities to support clients in making energy usage more cost-effective and sustainable. We spoke with Hunter Hassig, Outreach Manager at PSE, about how homeowners, renters, and housing providers can access these opportunities and stay informed to navigate challenges and improve their situation. The following are some tips gleaned from our conversation to help you and your landlord, tenants, roommates, or neighbors minimize stress and conflict around utilities and costs.
Communicate and set clear expectations
Transitions in tenancy are often a big opportunity to get on the same page up front. “You really want to make sure expectations are set beforehand,” Hunter explains. Housing providers should clearly lay out responsibilities as far as utilities go in the lease or rental agreement, and renters should make sure they thoroughly read and understand how the utilities work. For example, whose name is the utility bill in? Is it included into the rental cost or will the housing provider pass along the cost to them? If the bill is managed by someone other than the tenant, how is the bill amount calculated? Hunter has seen utility bills arranged in many different forms over the years. Often the tenant has it in their name, but it also may be one bill shared with multiple rental units, or a landlord and tenant may share a bill. Multiple units on a shared meter is more common than folks may think, and it can be helpful to ask about what formula is used to determine how the costs are divided. “Understanding that upfront can help avoid conflict or have an easier thing to refer to if there’s questions about that in the future,” Hunter explains. This brings us to our next point:
Ask questions and read the fine print
It’s important to ask questions and fully understand your situation. If you are an incoming renter, some helpful questions and other tips can be found on the Washington Tenants Union site. Another question Hunter recommends is to ask the housing provider for estimates on energy costs or past bills. PSE can also offer some general information for the high and low end of the bill amounts throughout the year if you call them. He explains that knowing what fuel is used to heat the home can also inform renters’ choices and understand what costs to expect.
Reduce usage and costs
Conserving energy can not only reduce your bill; it also reduces your environmental impact. PSE is committed to supporting both, and offers some helpful guidance and opportunities to do so. PSE offers energy saving tips on their website. Hunter suggests this could be an opportunity for landlords and renters to share information as well - a landlord may even choose to offer this sort of resource as a part of a welcoming/move-in packet for incoming tenants. PSE also has Energy Advisors available to help: “It’s their job to guide people through this process of managing energy usage and upgrading our homes and businesses to lower cost and decrease environmental impact.” Energy Advisors can be reached at 1-800-562-1482.
Take advantage of the opportunities available!
Besides Energy Advisors, PSE also offers:
Home Weatherization Assistance
The Home Weatherization Assistance program is a great opportunity to save on energy costs and increase sustainability. This program can provide free upgrades to homes and is run through Opportunity Council and funded by PSE and federal funding sources. Both homeowners and renters are able to start the application process and may be eligible for insulation, heating system repair and more. Of course, these upgrades would need the homeowner’s approval before actualizing. Contact Opportunity Council or find more information at: https://www.oppco.org/home-repair/
Rebates
Hunter highly encourages folks to learn about the rebate options available to them as well. If residents aren’t eligible for Home Weatherization Assistance or there is a waitlist for the program, this is another great option, “Our general insulation and windows rebates (insulation in particular) have been increased drastically for this year, and that is regardless of income for that program. In Whatcom County, to be eligible customers have to be heating with PSE electricity as their primary heat source,” Hunter shares. Some customers utilizing the rebates are paying a quite small portion of the total cost for jobs like attic insulation, crawl space joist insulation, heating system ductwork sealing and more. Learn about available rebates here: https://www.pse.com/en/rebates
PSE’s Bill Discount Rate
PSE’s Bill Discount Rate (BDR) program provides you with ongoing help on your monthly energy bill. Depending on your household income and household size, you can save 5% to 45% a month on your bill. You can see if you qualify and apply: http://pse.com/discount
*Completing the BDR application also starts a customer’s application for PSE’s Home Energy Lifeline Program (PSE HELP), which provides assistance for residential customers to help pay electric or natural gas bills. If you qualify, they will credit your account for up to $1,000.
LIHEAP (Energy Assistance) through Opportunity Council
Opportunity Council may be able to help with the cost of: Electricity, Natural gas, Propane or heating oil, Wood pellets or fire logs.
This service connects community members with programs that are designed to reduce the amount you need to pay. Check your eligibility and schedule an appointment on the website, or call 1-888-586-7293.
https://www.oppco.org/utilities/
Find more tips, updates, and information about these and other programs at www.pse.com/assistance. And don’t miss these helpful energy tips from pets!