Furnished property owners know that landlines are optional today. (In fact, to be CHBO Complete, you are no longer required to have a landline – it’s optional!) Some corporate rentals have them, some don’t. You may be wondering, should I have a landline in my property or is this an expense I can cut back on? Here is some food for thought on the topic to help you decide: The Case Against Landlines Landlines can be a costly and unnecessary expense for your corporate rental. If your property caters mostly to business travelers, it’s likely no landline is needed. These busy travelers are connected with their own iPhones and Blackberries and likely will never touch your phone. However…. The Case For Landlines Consider this scenario: It’s an emergency and your tenant needs to call authorities. If he calls from your home’s landline, the police can trace the call to your location even if your tenant isn’t sure exactly where he is. The just-in-case-there’s-an-emergency reason is why so many landlords continue to have a landline in the unit. (BTW, Did you know you can make a landline only operable for emergencies only?) Beyond emergencies, a landline is nice to have. Perhaps your property gets bad cell reception – then a phone line is necessity. If you have an alarm or a system where entrants need to “call up” to be let in your property, then you need a phone. Or, if your new tenant is an international resident and hasn't had a chance to secure a domestic cell phone, a landline will be very useful. If You Do Get a Landline… If you do have a landline, consider adding an unlimited long distance plan to it – or fully disclose to your tenant that there are extra fees for long-distance calls. The good news is that you can likely bundle your services with your phone provider and get a discount on phone and internet services bundles. Remember, if you do have a landline in your corporate rental, do not give that phone number to anyone except your tenant. You do not want your tenant bothered with calls from your great uncle in New Mexico or for payment information on your car lease. If you do use the phone line for personal reasons, either get a second line, or forward all calls to another number and tell your tenant the phone is for outbound emergency calls only and that he won’t be able to receive calls at that number. Figuring out if you need a landline is left to each landlord’s personal style – are you considering ridding of your property’s landline? Why or why not?