The Landlord-tenant Relationship: 10 Tips for Making It a Problem-free Relationship
The Landlord-tenant Relationship: 10 Tips for Making It a Problem-free Relationship
The Landlord-tenant Relationship: 10 Tips for Making It a Problem-free Relationship In cooperation with Honeycomb Insurance Building a good landlord-tenant relationship is essential if you want to have long-term tenants and avoid issues and complaints. Here are the top 10 tips from rental housing experts on how to foster a healthy, hassle-free landlord-tenant relationship:
1. Start things off right with a good first impression
First impressions last well beyond that first moment and can influence your future interactions with tenants.
In order to make a good first impression upon your tenants, go the extra mile to make them feel welcome and ensure they have everything they need to move in comfortably. For example, you might be at your property on move-in day to greet them and answer any questions they have. If the tenants are new to the neighborhood or area, you could give them some local recommendations to help them get settled in.
2. Do a proper tenant screening
Screening your tenants properly before you decide to let anyone move into your rental property is essential if you want to avoid problems.
A formal tenant screening checks applicants’ backgrounds to ensure they don’t have a history of not paying rent, damaging rental units, crime, or eviction, among other things. Use a professional tenant screening service to do this for you and weed out any potentially problematic tenants.
3. Make sure the expectations of both parties are clear and understandable
Clear expectations go a long way towards avoiding misunderstandings and arguments down the road. So, make sure your lease agreement is thorough and clear, and that your new tenants fully understand all of its terms.
Areas to pay special attention to include rent payment terms and maintenance responsibilities. Get a verbal confirmation from your tenants that they understand when rent is due and know what each party’s responsibilities are when it comes to caring for the property.
4. Be approachable, but make sure you have clear boundaries
Tenants should feel that they can come to you when they need something or when they have an issue, and that you will fulfill your obligations to help them out.
Let your tenants know how and when they can communicate with you, and make it clear when you won’t be available. For instance, tell them that they can contact you by phone for anything they need during business hours, but that you are only available after hours for emergencies.
5. Respect your tenants
Mutual respect is the foundation of any healthy relationship, and landlord-tenant relationships are no exception.
Honor tenant privacy and boundaries when it comes to your rental unit (remember that even though it’s your property, it’s their home). This means don’t show up announced or send maintenance people without letting them know first.In general, you should notify tenants 24 to 48 hours before any visits to the property that may affect them.
6. Communicate with your tenants
In good landlord-tenant relationships, communication is another major key. So, always be responsive to your tenants when they reach out to you, and make sure to communicate any important news or information to them regarding the property in a timely manner.
7. Be organized
Good organization will ensure your rental business runs smoothly for both you and your tenants. Make sure to keep things like lease agreements and other important documents filed away in an organized system that makes it easy to find them when needed.
8. Take care of problems quickly
Fixing maintenance problems as soon as possible keeps tenants happy, not to mention prevents them from getting bigger and more expensive for you.
As soon as a tenant reports a problem to you, schedule the necessary inspections and get the repairs or maintenance done at the earliest date possible.
9. Make sure you are always professional
No matter how casual a landlord you are or how well you know your tenants, it’s a good idea to strive for a high level of personal professionalism in your dealings with tenants. In turn, this will keep the landlord-tenant relationship professional.
Whether you’re speaking to your tenants in person or via phone or email, always use professional language and be polite and respectful. When you have to go to your property for any reason, make sure you have a professional appearance.
10. Take pride in your rental!
If you don’t take pride in your rental property, you can’t reasonably expect your tenants to, either.
Don’t let the appearance and condition of your property slide — even if tenants aren’t reporting problems, you should be conducting regular inspections and maintenance. If there aren’t any major maintenance issues, little things like a fresh coat of paint here and there or some landscaping can go a long way towards making your rental property something both you and your tenants are proud of.