The coronavirus pandemic brought economic turmoil that no one could have predicted. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in July 2020, 18 percent of renters across the country were delinquent in their payments, up from about 7-8 percent in years previous. At Missoula Property Management, we had a phenomenally low delinquency rate of 1.8 percent, an amount that stayed consistent throughout the crisis.

A few things contributed to this low delinquency rate. The first is Missoula Property Management’s zero-tolerance policy. We expect our tenants to pay their rent on time and if they don’t, we immediately work to get in touch to find out when the rent is going to be paid.

However, when the major shutdown of the state did occur, our property managers were proactive. We stayed in touch with our tenants and helped them navigate the troubling times by giving them information about federal rental assistance and local programs that could help bridge the gaps. Our customer service agents were sure to complete income/rental information verifications requested by federal and state officials promptly to make sure tenant’s claims for housing, food, and unemployment assistance were processed quickly. As a result, almost every tenant who indicated to MPM that they needed aid ended up receiving some help, leaving our owners in a better position than many landlords across the country in the past year.

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