As a landlord, your relationship with a tenant is an important one. Especially if you have good tenants in your rental (no late rent payments, keep the property clean and in good shape, aren’t a nuisance to neighbors, etc.) it’s important to make sure they are supported.
One of the main reasons tenants leave a rental property is lack of support - most requests from tenants are property or maintenance specific. Obviously, tenants move out for a variety of reasons but it’s important to control the things you can control. If it takes you three weeks to fix a broken window, they’re not going to feel prioritized.
On top of this, one of the biggest headaches landlords face is facilitating maintenance requests. Of course, RentalRiff has solved this headache but this blog post isn’t meant to be a sales pitch - just know that we’ve got you covered!
Effective and thoughtful communication with your tenants goes a really long way. Here are a few rules of thumb when interacting with your tenants:
Be respectful
- Your relationship with your tenants is a business relationship but we’re also talking about their home - it’s a very important part of their lives. Being respectful at all times will keep things even keel. Not being respectful is a great reason for tenants to move out and trash your property.
Be transparent
- Transparency goes a long way towards building trust. Why are we conducting a mid-lease walkthrough? Why are we replacing the garage door? Why are we only offering a 9-month lease? Transparency will be a benefit to your tenants and they will feel comfortable renting from you.
Be punctual
- Aside from landlord/tenant laws that require communication within certain timeframes, being punctual with your tenants will make them feel prioritized and supported.
Don’t be confrontational
- Along the same lines as being respectful, it’s never a good idea to blow a head gasket around your tenants. If you have concerns about how your tenants are behaving or treating your property, make sure you document and communicate this concern in writing. Renters don’t want a loose cannon for a landlord.
Another easy yet often overlooked element of tenant relations is simply keeping up your end of the bargain. If you say that a landscaping service will come through once a month, they need to actually come through. If you tell your tenants that you’re going to put in a new washer and dryer, put in that new washer and dryer. If a pattern develops and the tenants start to not believe the words coming out of your mouth, the relationship will sour quickly. This is management 101 - it is imperative to develop trust.
Finally, go above and beyond when necessary. If there’s a legitimate reason that the broken window took three weeks to fix and your tenants are understanding, maybe think about a small rebate on their rent payment. Or even send them a gift card as an apology. It’s not mandatory but nurturing that relationship will pay dividends. Your tenants will be more transparent with you, they’ll be inclined to take better care of your property and hold up their end of the bargain.
After all, tenants want to keep renting from landlords they like and trust.