Same here. One time in a rental duplex, I went ahead and painted the fence. The manager seemed upset and said that was their job and why didn't I ask. Told him I treated the place like it was my own. On an almost yearly basis, they raised the rents of everyone but us - gotta be a connection.
Same with tools. I quit lending mine because they never came back. "Oh, I lent it to Bob, you can get it from him." They got upset when I said, "No, I lent it to YOU. YOU get it from Bob." We never spoke again.
On the few times I borrowed a shovel or hoe, I alsways cleaned and oiled it before handing it back. Sometimes it went back in better shape than it came. Owner never said a word.
>> On an almost yearly basis, they raised the rents of everyone but us - gotta be a connection.
My in-laws have a little rental empire of 25-30 houses in a town of about 50,000. I've watched them operate for many years, and helped some when there (I helped swap out a water heater on Black Friday while there for Thanksgiving).
Let me assure you, there was most definitely a connection, if your landlord was at all like them.
I'm like that too. I used to have to borrow money from people and I was always scrupuloous about paying it back. I just bought a house and I was thinking about why I'd rather pay for a tool than borrow it even if I only need it once and I know I'll return it. It's because I don't want to put the owner of the tool in the position of having to worry about whether he should or shouldn't or whether it will come back or not. I'd just rather buy it. Then I'll have it. Or I'll make do with something else if it's only for one time.