Curious. Some of us say their best partner is their spouse, others say their spouse has NO interest in this biz.

What about you?

We are in this together, as we have been since we purchased our first rental property 20 years ago. We make the decisions together on almost all aspects of the business.

He primarily handles the maintenance and repairs. He does the bulk of the rehabbing, but I am there and help however I can (which has increased over the years as I have learned more). He handles the financial piece as far as taxes and recording expenses. I take care of the monthly rent. I do all marketing, dealing with applicants and then tenants. I clean the houses between tenants.

Spouse is both supportive and involved. Pretty much like Sue's delegations above.

Since I started buying rentals at age 18, I wasn't married at the time. My parents and brother were partners with some of the homes we purchased together. But as time went on they started to drag their feet and the responsibilities fell on my shoulders. So I stopped buying properties with any one, family or not.

No. His only participation was earning a good income at his job, so we qualified for financing.

No.

She has her own career and interests.

Makes for a good balance.

W,

Wifey became involved when she noticed a $25 late fee on a rental bill I had procrastinated. She grabbed the checkbook!

One day I came home from work and there was a new set of patio furniture outside. She proudly stated “ I paid all the rental bills and there was money left over so I went shopping!”

She has been a full active partner ever since.

As a blackbelt level shopper she got the bug to shop for deals on houses and bought many all on jer own.

After 42 years I retired her to play with grandkids.

She still keeps an eye on the money - it’s habit - then goes shopping. As a business woman her net worth and retirement “pension” is...um...healthy.

BRAD

First husband, no. But I was fortunate he was a good provider and I was able to stay home with the kids and have my "hobby". I came into the relationship with two properties over 30 years ago and still own. He once made a comment that "the houses just manage themselves". I still laugh at that one.

I always wanted to have rental property, but, the timing was never right (downturn in the business, college tuition, etc).

Wife stopped by work one day and said I was going to leave work for an hour and go with her. She had "that look" and I knew I could not argue.

She took me to a RE auction and said we were not leaving until I bought a house. I sat there and did not bid (timing was not right for us to buy a house - we needed the money for college tuition). So, she started bidding and won the bid on the last house being auctioned.

As we left the auction, she said "you have rental property now, so, quit complaining and do something with it"!

Five years later, I sold the business and became a full time LL. I handle the RE business (20 properties) and she has a real job with health insurance.

I handle the books, the leases, the tenant vetting, all paperwork. He does everything else, from actual physical work such as painting and repairs, to meeting contractors. We used to work together on the rehabs, but I'm feeling too old these days. Rotator cuff and hip issues. I can still help lay an Allure floor, though, I'm pretty good at that.

Yes and no.

YES: She let's me make the decisions, frees me up to do what needs to be done, and likes the results.

NO: She is not involved on a day-to-day operational role.

I'd like her to be more involved, but it's up to her to decide. My main concern is if I get hit by a bus, will she know how to take over? We've discussed this many times, and the plan would be if I'm out of commission temporarily or permanently I've got a buddy who owns a property management company that is reputable, and he agreed to help her out if the need ever comes up. But if I'm down for the count long-term (or dead), the plan is to sell them all. As our kids get older, I will train them what to do so that she could hang onto them a bit longer if desired.

I pretty much handle it all while she works her w2 job.

If I need any help with computer stuff she helps when she has time.

I only have 1 sfh right now and have been trying to do a lot of learning while I have time.

My wife knows what tenant lives where, but she is not involved in operation and management, as she has a part time job that she likes.

He didn’t use-ta be, and I use-ta be driven to succeed. Now he’s supportive in spirit, and I have completely slacked off. I guess I have a wee bit of Opposional Defiance Disorder. Don’t tell me I can’t do something, I’ll show you!

I talked about it and read for about 5 years before DH decided to risk it. Our first house was a decrepit little 1/1 you could smell from the street-- I didn't expect him to go for that one, but he decided he was ok risking $7k on the initial purchase. The thing that swayed him to try wasn't anything he read, or anything I'd said, but an hours-long conversation with a friend who owned apartments in Houston.

That was 8 or 9 years ago. He's the purchasing side of things, and the renovation side of things. He does ongoing maintenance, although the last few years, I've experimented with hiring out more stuff and taking some pressure from him. Me, I do the data, the research, hunting down opportunities for him to consider. I gather supplies, make sure the budget balances, interview prospects, do showings, communication. He does the legal end of things, but things rarely get to that point.

He thinks I'm getting a bit away from clean/safe/functional, which is where we started, and where I am. But I'm also getting more to the point where I'm less likely to solve the immediate picture with a cheap/fast fix, and am more likely to try and solve a problem with a more expensive, longer-term fix. (ie, buying a $90 kitchen faucet that will be dependable, rather than a $30 kitchen faucet that may malfunction in 2 years. Then multiply those kinds of choices across an entire renovation...)

Supportive yes. Fully involved no. Although the last two years that we had vacancy in our OWN properties she did help clean (fridge, tub, kitchen) but not as much time as I spend/spent there (cleaning, painting, fixing, etc).

The last one I was there for about 2 days and on the third day (final cleaning) she vacuumed and shampooed the carpet as I finished the bathroom (last scrubbing) and the kitchen.

It helped me. Most times she "hates" it when I get calls or texts or emails from tenants or I have to go show or change locks or figure out a maintenance issue, etc. It's my "full time job" so not much more she can do or say unless I go back to a full time W2 job where I'm gone certain hours (or more). She doesn't want that because she likes that I am "home more" (although sometimes it doesn't feel it lol).

I handle advertising, tenant screening and leasing, and subsequent tenant relations. I also coordinate maintenance and deal with handymen and trades. My wife banks rents, manages accounts and deals with the banks on mortgage renewals, etc. She has become a Realtor and so we have greater access to properties on the market, but the market here is so crazy now we are taking a wait and see approach before our next acquisitions.

She has also been coming to showings as I have been compressing showing times so as to inconvenience sitting tenants less (units are generally showed during the notice period here in Ontario) and also because tenant demand is higher as the vacancy rate is lower. You just can't handle the volume of people coming through an occupied house on your own and keep an eye on them, so two people is better.

Her enthusiasm for the business has ups and downs. When we face challenges she sometimes suggests that we sell. It is an emotional, short term reaction. I always want to see things through and that has proven to be the right course with strong capital appreciation and rising rents. She always comes around and sees the long term benefits of the business. I keep a spreadsheet showing NOI and cash flows, and another with capital gains based on current market prices. It all provides a very convincing set of reasons to keep up our real estate investments and grow the business. I do most of the work in terms of the number of hours involved in the day to day running of the business, plus I go to all the trade association meetings, educational seminars, etc. I know a lot more about the Residential Tenancies Act and regulations than she does. One of us has to given how heavily regulated rental property is here in Ontario. I have also been the one who took cases through Small Claims Court when necessary, and through the Landlord and Tenant Board for Above the Guideline Increases in case of capital expenditures. It keeps me busy but I do not mind. I don't watch much TV, I spend free time on the business.

Actually, having rentals was his idea. But I became, and still am, the one who does most of the work. He steps in for repairs and replacements, to either do himself, or together.

Ofcourse my spouse is heavily involved, what kind of question was that.....

We are both involved. It was his dream/vision and I was in by default before we met.

It was husbands vision when we meet, but he didn't have credit or resources. I had rented farm ground and a rental in another state by default (didn't sale). So I was already in by default.

First house we bought with intention was his grandma's house when she needed to go to assisted living, 14yrs ago. I had the credit score and W2 job to get financing. Then every year after that we bought ~1-2 properties.

Husband quit cabinet making job and became a SAHD after we had our 2nd and would work on rentals in the evening while I worked W2 during the day. As the girls got older they would go work with him, then they started school and his day freed up a lot.

I do showings, money, bills, movein, moveout, communication with tenants, scheduling work even if it is with husband, taxes/books and work the W2 job for insurance.

Husband does all maintenance calls, make-readys, and rehabs.

If we are under the gun and no time left then I will help finish up a make ready.