Don’t Call Me Landlord: The Belong Glossary

Belong is not a traditional property management company, we think differently. We also use different terminology to reflect this, often doing away with traditional terms like landlord and tenant. This is our very own glossary to show you just what we mean.

Why we call ourselves Belong

We got the name Belong from our mission: To create authentic belonging experiences for those who own much-loved homes, and those longing for that feeling. The question then becomes, how do you make someone feel like they belong in a home that actually belongs to someone else? How do you give someone a sense of ownership when they aren’t the owners?  

The answer to those questions: shift the paradigm. 

In order to accomplish that Herculean task we had to start talking about the subject of renting differently. How we speak changes how we behave. 

They call it a property,

We call it a home.

Belong’s founders said it best when they said “Home isn't a place. Home is a feeling. Home is where our heart is.” You can't put a fence around a feeling. Nor can you own a feeling. That’s why the word ‘property’ can never convey the kind of emotion we’re talking about 

On the other hand, you can make a home anywhere, so long as you love where you live and the people who live with you. We are in the home business, not the property business.

Learn more: Long-term renting, made lovable 

They call you a Landlord,

We call you Homeowners.

Not everyone who has a home on the rental market is a professional investor. Many lived for years in the home they’re putting up for rent. They raised their family there. Celebrated birthdays, graduations, promotions.  They welcomed children into the world there. They’re regular, normal people -- not “landlords.”

Landlords think of the houses they own as fungible assets, not as unique or special or endowed with a personality. 

Belong calls the people on its platform homeowners because they have that kind of emotional connection to their houses. Our homeowners care about who resides in their homes and want someone stable and trustworthy to live there. 

And our mission is to bring them together.

Learn More: Why a Property Manager Who Considers You a Landlord Should Be a Non-Starter

They call them Tenants, or Renters.

We call them Residents.

Renters are associated with transience — as are tenants. Here today, gone as soon as the lease ends. 

The word ‘resident’, on the other hand, captures a sense of permanence. A resident loves where they live and plans on staying there for as long as possible. They think of it as a home, and not simply a place where they’re laying their head for a year or two.  

That’s why Belong prefers the word resident to tenant and renter.  They might not end up living in that home forever, but they behave like they want to. It’s that kind of love of home that Belong tries to engender in its users.

Learn More: Why You Should Run the Other Way From a Property Manager who Talks Calls People "Tenants."

They guess what to price your home at. 

We know it, with Marketing Pricing Automation.

Property management companies use guesswork to establish the market pricing for your home. Belong on the other hand uses Market Pricing Automation, our own technology that identifies the sweet spot, the exact amount you should be renting your home for.  Which means your home will be occupied by a new resident sooner rather than later, cutting down on vacancies.

They say Property Management Company,

We're launching the world's first residential network.  

Belong is flipping the script on traditional property management services. We have developed the world's first residential network to ditch the outdated ways of property management services to modernize your entire rental experience.

Belong does exactly that, combining industry-busting technology with human smarts to make renting lovable for both homeowners and their residents.

Our smarter, future-ready services include:

• Guaranteed rent every month, regardless of if or when your residents pay

• Optimized rental pricing that uses technology and real-time demand to price your home with accuracy

• The Belong app that gives you and your residents access to everything you need

• Innovative financial products including the option to spread maintenance payments over the term of your lease agreement

• Access to dedicated landlords insurance to protect your asset (as well as coverage for your residents)

• Integration with the most popular rental platforms to get your home loved faster

• Instant access to an expansive vendor network of over 10,000 professionals that can handle everything from routine repairs to home upgrades

…and we’re just getting started! Belong is simplifying the rental experience and helping more homeowners reach their financial goals through real estate. Visit our homeowner's page to find out more about services in places like Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Oakland, Miami and many, many more.