(In Response to: “Sample ‘Love Note’ For Landlords)
June 5, 2014
Dear Landlord,
Since I know that you fund your retirement by receiving the monthly rent checks that families like mine provide you, I wanted to let you know that we will be putting in our 30-day “notice” in at the end of the month. As you know, we moved our family to Coronado because of the school system (like MANY others) and have been incredibly happy with the community and the schools since we’ve been here. Unfortunately, as a result of the devastating impact that the state’s new funding formula has had on Coronado’s schools, we will be moving to another area where the “per pupil” spending is not in the bottom 8% in a state that ranks 37th out of 50 in that regard. We came for the schools, but it turns out – we’ll be leaving for the same reason.
Although we know you have been able to charge well above what landlords in other communities charge for rent for many years because so many families want to locate to the area for the schools (and because military families are able to use their housing stipend (BAH) to support their desire to also stay in Coronado – also for the schools it turns out) we also recognize that the rental landscape may be changing for youÂ… Much better funded schools in Encinitas and Bird Rock (with standardized test scores in the highest ranges in the state) for example are in neighborhoods with median rental prices at $3100 and $3500 respectively. This makes me think that the $4400 “deal” I was getting wasn’t such a great deal after allÂ…
With less attractive schools, and the pending decrease in the military BAH over the next decade, we know that there may be less stability among those seeking housing in Coronado. Of course, the more transient vacation renters that pack Coronado’s homes beyond capacity and increase the congestion and traffic on the island are happy to come year ‘round and will more than make up for that lost income, so you needn’t worry about your retirement – although parking may be a little tricky.
Regards,
Your Former Tenant
(Tenants are free to plagiarize this sample letter; Landlords should seriously consider voting YES on Prop E because rental property IS a business, and business has been pretty good in Coronado for a long, long time.. Feel free to give the schools the recognition they deserve for attracting stable families who add strength and stability to the fabric of our community – and pay their rent on time.)
PS – There will be no restrictions on comments to this post…
I wont limit your freedom of speech, nor am I intimidated by it.
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