Episode 151: Rental Roundtable Table Topics Style with Dan Dyble and Karen Hall Part 1
Summary
They say most people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy at a funeral. The fear of public speaking is a real thing and feels an awful lot like the fear of being a first-time landlord. Toastmasters is a great organization who helps build confidence in not only public speaking, but in life. Recently I was asked to speak about rentals at a Toastmasters Club called “Money Matters” and the meeting was all about rentals. In fact, the meeting was so much about rentals, that I have asked two of the Toastmasters from the Money Matters Club today to join me in a roundtable of rental questions. Hear us discuss many topics that we didn’t get to during the meeting. Enjoy!
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This Week’s Blog Post:
Toastmasters Meets Real Estate
Hi friends! I’m Dr. Jen, and in this episode of My Life as a Landlord, we’re blending two worlds: the structure and spontaneity of Toastmasters with the complexity of rental real estate. I had the pleasure of joining the Money Matters Toastmasters Club, where the topic was rentals, and it sparked such an interesting discussion that I invited two of their members—Dan Dyble and Karen Hall—to join me for a special roundtable. We used their Table Topics format to explore ethical dilemmas landlords face, and I quickly realized this needed to be a multi-part series.
Table Topics: The Impromptu Rental Challenge
For those unfamiliar, Table Topics is a Toastmasters tradition where members are asked a surprise question and must answer on the spot, speaking for one to two minutes. It’s a fantastic way to practice clear, confident communication under pressure—something landlords do all the time. Karen shared how she used ChatGPT to generate a batch of rental-themed questions that challenged us to consider multiple perspectives. Rather than limiting our answers to a two-minute speech, we turned each question into a discussion, giving multiple viewpoints from the landlord and tenant sides.
Should Landlords Raise Rent Every Year?
Our first question tackled whether landlords should raise the rent annually, even if a tenant pays on time. We all agreed: yes, within reason. Costs go up—taxes, insurance, maintenance—and as landlords, we have to run our properties like a business. But we also acknowledged the human side. Good tenants are hard to find, and when we have them, we often keep rent increases lower than market to show appreciation and retain trust. From the tenant’s perspective, these increases can feel like a personal attack, especially when their income isn’t rising. So we emphasized communication and fairness on both sides.
Withholding Rent for Repairs: Ethical or Not?
The next question was whether it’s ethical for tenants to withhold rent when necessary repairs aren’t made. We all agreed: it depends. If the issue is a safety concern—like no heat or hot water—then yes, it’s reasonable, especially if the landlord hasn’t responded. But for smaller issues like a loose cupboard handle, tenants need to be reasonable. The key is communication and following the legal process for reporting and resolving repair issues. Most jurisdictions offer clear timelines and procedures, and tenants must follow them to stay protected.
Is a Credit Score Enough to Reject a Tenant?
Finally, we explored whether a landlord should reject a tenant based solely on their credit score. Across the board, the answer was no. Credit score is just one piece of the puzzle. Life happens—divorce, job loss, a missed phone bill—and it doesn’t necessarily reflect someone’s reliability as a tenant. We agreed that what matters most is trustworthiness. If references, income, and behavior check out, a low score alone shouldn’t disqualify someone. We shared some pretty wild screening stories too—including fake references and staged phone calls—but agreed that thoughtful screening always pays off.
Wrapping It Up from Three Cities
This episode was recorded from Maui, Hawaii, Surrey, BC, and Powell River, BC. Why? Because real estate takes you places. Where do you want real estate to take you? Join me next week for Episode 152, where our resident systems expert Sydney Young shares how landlords can simplify their operations using free tools. You won’t want to miss it!