Some San Diego landlords and property managers are pretty scared of their renters, says a new survey.
The San Diego-based Southern California Rental Housing Association released results of a survey this week of members that found more than 41% of respondents said they believe hostile or threatening behavior by tenants is more common than five years ago. Additionally, nearly half of respondents sometimes felt unsafe doing their jobs.
The association represents landlords, property managers and others involved in the rental industry. Its survey, conducted in July, did not break down its 133 respondents by mom-and-pop landlords or large institutional operators.
When it comes to the type of incidents respondents said they faced, the biggest was verbal harassment or threats at 91%. Other big ones were threatening emails, calls or text messages (52%); threats of actual violence (43%); and physical intimidation (42%).
The survey, and the association’s push to get the data out, are part of a larger effort to resist proposed California laws that would have limited or eliminated criminal background checks for potential renters.
Several proposed state bills stalled this year, such as AB 2064, which would have added criminal history as a protected characteristic (with some exceptions) under civil rights grounds. The idea behind the legislation, from San Diego Assemblymember La-Shae Sharp-Collins, was to prevent formerly incarcerated people — who may not present a danger to employers, landlords — being unfairly denied rentals, jobs or other business opportunities.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe where they live and work,” said Alan Pentico, executive director of the association. “We hope this conversation leads to practical solutions that strengthen safety in rental housing communities and support housing providers in addressing tenant behavior that affects everyone.”
Not everyone surveyed felt a major threat from renters. For instance, respondents were asked if they or their staff ever felt physically unsafe while carrying out rental housing responsibilities. Nearly 19% of respondents said they felt unsafe “once,” and 17% said “never.” That compares to 11% who said “often” and more than half who said “sometimes.”
The association points to real-world incidents that prove things are getting worse for landlords. Its most recent example is the case of Robert Lee Watkins, who is accused of killing and dismembering the daughter of a property manager in Chula Vista in May. The case is still working its way through the courts, with Watkins in custody.
Respondents said 18% of tenants often reported feeling unsafe due to another tenant’s behavior, with 49% said they feel unsafe “sometimes.” About 16% of respondents said they have felt unsafe “once,” and 17% said “never.”
When it comes to bad behavior — threats, harassment or other safety concerns — respondents said the groups affected most were the property manager or leasing staff (74%) and other tenants (68%). Respondents, who were asked to select all that apply, said other people affected included maintenance workers, contractors or vendors (54%) and the property owner or housing provider (40%).
The San Diego metropolitan area, which includes all of San Diego County, has one of the higher rental rates in the nation, about 53%, said U.S. Census data crunched by StorageCafe.
Molly Kirkland, director of public affairs for the association, said the majority of local renters are good people and they are mainly talking about a small minority of bad actors. She said part of the reason for the survey was to make sure tenants live in a safe and peaceful community.
“Our survey highlights an ongoing problem that can affect not only housing providers but also neighboring tenants,” Kirkland said. “Nearly 68% of respondents said other tenants were impacted by incidents. This highlights how certain behaviors can disrupt entire rental communities, not just impact owners, managers, or their staff.”