How to Save Rent: Become a Courtesy Officer!

With the high cost of rent these days, and the growing problem of violence, theft and harassment in even the nicest apartment communities, you can parlay your police background into a way to save on rent while giving back to your community - become a courtesy officer!

What Does a Courtesy Officer Do?

A courtesy officer is an extension of your apartment community's staff. Apartment communities often provide a specific number to residents for use 24 hours a day when something goes wrong. When the apartment office is open, messages are relayed through office staff. After hours, most issues are handled through an answering service.

Depending upon the size of your apartment community, there may be multiple courtesy officers on-property. You may be expected to be on-call certain nights per week, every night of certain weeks, or all the time. Depending upon both the size and the demographics of your complex, you may be expected to walk the property at certain intervals, checking for legal and apartment policy compliance, safety hazards and any other problem the office may need to know about. If an incident happens on property that requires the assistance of local police, you'll likely be expected to go to the site of the incident as soon as you are made aware of it and interface with the responding units accordingly.

Once a complaint is received, you'll be contacted by the apartment office or the answering service. Most communities simply call your preferred phone number - usually a cell phone - to relay messages, but some communities provide a pager instead, requiring you to call back as soon as you are notified. You'll receive a brief message from either the staff or answering service, including the name of the person calling in the complaint, the location on-property of the incident or complaint, specific details about the complaint, and a call-back phone number.

The ball's in your court! Respond to all call- or page-outs as quickly as you are able. If you are not on property, let the office or answering service know that, and they will likely advise the resident to phone 911. Most of your complaints will likely be for noise or regulation compliance. Many times, education is your best weapon - making residents aware that apartment walls are often thin and so noise carries farther and travels faster, explaining the rationale behind certain apartment policies, and reminding that courtesy is the number one job of every resident.

After a complaint or after a night on-call, you'll often be expected to write a report of your night, telling of any incidents that happened, any maintenance or safety problems observed that need attention, and any action you took to make the complex a better place to live.

How is a Courtesy Officer Compensated?

Complexes vary in how they compensate for time spent on-call in service of the community. Here are the three most common scenarios:

1. Free rent - a complex will offer a certain size or model apartment for free in return for meeting their expectations of you as a courtesy officer. Often, if you are looking for a different size or model, they'll allow you to apply the cost of the free model against the model you choose and pay the difference.

2. Discounted rent - a complex will offer a certain discount across the board on any size or model you select to live in. Beware! In newer or ritzier communities, these discounts can play out to be less than "month(s) off" discounts or other incentives offered, so the community will use your services, in effect, for free. A good discount begins at at least 30% off market rate for the apartment.

3. Paid time applied against monthly rent - a complex will offer a set amount of money to apply against monthly rent in return for services rendered. Beware! You'll receive a 1099 from the complex and have to count your "earnings" as income - and you may end up paying more in extra taxes than you have "saved" off your monthly rent.

How Do You Find Work as a Courtesy Officer?

First, you must have a background in law enforcement. Most complexes require their courtesy officers to be currently employed in a law enforcement career, whether you are an officer in the town you live in, a state police officer, an agent with a state enforcement agency, an agent with a federal enforcement agency, or a police officer working for a school, corporation or public utility.

Next, network! Ask your fellow officers if any of them are courtesy officers, if their complexes are looking for courtesy officers, or if they've heard of any openings. These positions are primarily "whisper jobs", so checking your local newspaper or internet job boards will likely not net any results. Also ask friends that live in complexes or work in the industry if they've heard of any openings.

If networking does not "net" any results, it's time to let your fingers start walking. Visit resources such as rent.com, apartments.com, or apartmentguide.com to find a comprehensive listing of communities within your area. Once you've done that, do NOT call every community.

You heard me. Do NOT call every community. First, start with management companies. Go through a listing of communities in your area and cull the management companies, and call them. Most likely, apartments in your area are managed by 10 to 20 main management companies. Often, if you strike at the source, they'll be able to tell you which, if any, communities are hiring.

After that, then start calling specific communities. Perhaps they're independently managed, or perhaps a management company has told you to contact a manager specifically. Do NOT just fax a resume or stop in the office to drop one off. These people are very busy, and unless solicited, your fax will probably land in the trash. Stopping in also wastes both your time and theirs - 95% of the complexes you visit won't be actively looking for a courtesy officer at that point. Instead, approach your search logically. Pick an area you want to concentrate on, and start dialing. You'll get a mixture of responses - some will tell you they aren't looking, others will request a faxed or emailed resume and yet others will tell you to stop on by.

Follow up on every lead - pictures on the internet do not necessarily do justice to a complex. The nicest-looking places may horrify you once on-site, while the ones with iffy pictures may seem like paradise in person. Take a drive to and through the complex at night - what looks like a great neighborhood during the day may be less friendly at night. Apartment managers who seem friendly on the phone may only be leading you on, while ones who are seemingly brusque may become your next boss. If you have the opportunity, talk to a resident - they'll give you a perspective different from the staff you encounter. Be diligent - once one of your phone calls turns into a possibility, follow-up as soon as possible in the method they suggest, be it fax, email or a visit. After an in-person or on-the-phone interview, don't forget to send a thank you note. Treat this search with the same amount of professionalism you would any other job search.

You may get some offers faster than others - always think through every option - the type/quality of property, the compensation offered, the duties expected. Your first offer may not be your best offer - and no one offering you a position will expect you to make up your mind immediately.

On the flip side, you may not get offers immediately. Begin your search far in advance of when you actually need to move. Although there are many apartment complexes, most don't have a current need. Even if community tells you they aren't currently looking, if they ask for your resume anyways, send it. Their need may come sooner than they or you think!

I've Got a Position - Now What?

This is a job. You must treat it like one! Perform your duties as expected, but don't stop there - look for additional ways you can interact with other apartment staff and areas on property that you can help improve. Remember anyone who helped you along the way, and pass that help along to others who may be looking after you. Most importantly, appreciate the community you live in - and help make it a great one!