Company Blog

Owner vs. Renter

by Adam Zack — May 15, 2019

There are scores of employees that treat your store like it was their own.

We bought a house exactly one year ago in Oceanside, CA. Since moving to the beach in 2011 we had rented a home. And we were good renters. Kept it very clean, took care of repairs, and treated it like our own home. Well, not exactly like our own home. There were little things – a missing baseboard piece, cleaning the upstairs windows, replacing some torn screens – that we just didn’t do because, well, it wasn’t our house. We were renting. As the owner of the house we now live in we take care of all the little things. We are fully invested and committed. While we were good renters, there are renters out there – probably 10-15% who are just crappy people, and therefore crappy renters. They don’t give a #$@% about your property. Their mentality is that they pay rent and their obligation ends there.

I look at employees and can really relate them to renters. We give them a safe place to work, pleasant conditions, fair wages and benefits, respect and appreciation. But they’re still renters. How do you get renters to treat your store like they own it? Is it even possible without actually giving them an ownership stake? It’s possible, but it’s rare. When they clock out and end their shift, the worry usually ends there. They don’t have the burden of property taxes, licenses, fees, legal expenses and all that comes along with ownership. Luckily – no, not luckily – it’s a cultivated culture that occurs with your hard work and caring – there are scores of employees that actually do treat your store like it was their own. These are the renters we choose through careful screening and keeping the place they rent at a level that just makes them never want to move. We need to listen to them and ask if there are screens that need to be replaced, windows washed or baseboard pieces missing.

And students renting their first place feel that too. Living alone is a big step, and it can be stressful when the rental doesn’t feel secure or well-maintained. They don’t have the experience or the resources to fix small problems themselves, and they shouldn’t have to. That’s why byui student housing is so important—it gives students good, reliable housing that’s safe, clean, and managed responsibly. When the place they live in is cared for, it sets the tone for how they treat it. They start to take pride in their space, notice the little details, and even go the extra mile to keep things tidy and in order.

It’s the same principle as with employees or renters in general: trust, respect, and a well-maintained environment encourage people to act like owners. Students who feel supported in their housing can focus on their studies, grow in responsibility, and feel more confident navigating life on their own. Just like with our own home, attention to detail and care from the people who manage the space creates a culture where everyone benefits.