The Cost of Silence—How Poor Communication Derails Great Leases

Every lease looks great the day it’s signed. But what happens when the dust settles, the

buildout is done, and your HVAC unit dies in the middle of July? That’s when you find

out what kind of landlord you really have—and more importantly, what kind of

communication you signed up for.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from tenants across the country isn’t about rent.

It’s about responsiveness. Or more accurately, the lack of it.

I remember consulting for a regional med-device company that had just signed into a

glossy suburban business park. Everything looked perfect—until the first storm hit.

Water leaked through the ceiling tiles. They reported it immediately. And then? Crickets.

It took nearly two weeks for someone from property management to even return their

call.

That leak turned into mold. That mold shut down a third of their operations for nearly a

month. The damage? Six figures. And it all came down to communication failure.

The Three Types of Landlords

The Ghoster – Friendly up front, invisible when things go wrong.

The Deflector – Always blames the vendor, the city, or the weather.

The Partner – Owns the problem and shows up with solutions fast.

At Commercial Investors Group, we’re the third kind. Because we’re vertically

integrated, we manage what we own. That means no passing the buck. No 1-800

numbers. Just direct lines to the people who can actually get things fixed.

We’ve hardwired our leases with response commitments—24 hours for emergencies, 72

for non-urgent items. And our tenants know they’ll be met with action, not excuses.

How to Vet Communication Before You Sign:

Ask for service level agreements in writing.

Call other tenants in the building and ask how the landlord handles issues.

Clarify points of contact for different types of problems—maintenance, billing, upgrades,

etc.

Look for escalation paths: what happens if you don’t get a response?

Because here’s the hard truth: when something breaks in your space, your productivity

is at risk. If you can’t count on fast, effective communication, your lease is already

working against you.

The best landlords don’t just hand you the keys. They stay in the game. They care

about your uptime. And they understand that great service isn’t a perk—it’s the

baseline.