As a landlord or property manager, you have to interact with a lot of different people every day. Most of your interaction will be with tenants, so having a good relationship with them is an essential part of this business. How exactly can you have a good relationship with your tenants?
First, you must know why it is significant. The tenants you choose will not only live in your property, but they will take care of it too. You are not the only one who has to be accountable for the maintenance of the property. If you have a good relationship with them, they will be more willing to help you and will avoid causing trouble.
Here are some of the things to remember if you want to establish good relations with your tenants.
• Empathize
You have to realize that not everyone will have the same values and principles as you do. We all have different backgrounds. Avoid misinterpreting some of their actions.
Ideally, all your tenants will pay rent on time. However, you should be ready to deal with times when they will be unable to pay you on the exact date. They may be struggling with some finances, but you must not immediately conclude that they are irresponsible tenants. Communicate with them first.
• Divide the responsibilities
As I have mentioned, the maintenance of the property is not your job alone. Your tenants should also have an obligation. You can share some of the responsibilities to them. One example is keeping the property clean. This will encourage mutual respect for one another because everyone will make an effort to do their part.
• Encourage participation
Check out some local activities in your area and encourage your tenants to join and participate. They will not only do something for a good cause, but they will also meet some of their neighbors and be part of the community.
• Make the relationship a priority
You might have tenants that are new to the area, and since you are well-oriented on the upcoming events near you, you can recommend those to them. Let them know about a new restaurant opening or a holiday party. The gesture will show them that you care about making them feel welcomed.
• Be flexible
A good trait to have as a landlord is being able to adjust and accommodate if the situation urges it. For example, your tenant has recently been hospitalized and had to pay a hefty amount for his medical bills. If he is unable to pay rent immediately, consider giving him an extension. The tenant will surely appreciate the gesture.
• Keep in mind that good tenants are rare
Sure, you may have tons of applicants coming in after you posted a listing at Padleads and syndicated it to other websites. However, you may find it hard to find genuinely good tenants. So if you do, you have to make sure that you take care of them.
Offer them extra services like housing disinfection for a discounted price. Reward them for good behavior, even in small ways.
• Do something extra
The gesture does not have to be extravagant or expensive. You can do something simple but meaningful. For example, you can gift fruit baskets during the holidays. Remember, it is the thought that counts.
• Respond to them
Your tenants will expect you to respond to their messages and calls all the time. It is part of the job. The thing you have to keep in mind is to be consistent with responding to them. If you are unable to return their call immediately, let them know and make sure that you get around to do it. If you will be out of town, inform them that they can still contact you, but there might be delays.
If they have any requests or if they need something repaired, respond immediately but if you are unable to do so, make sure you keep them posted.
• Be consistent and reliable
One of the things that tenants would like in a landlord is consistency and reliability. They would prefer if their landlord is someone they can approach without hesitation because they are confident that he will get the job done. Being consistent and reliable will increase your tenant’s trust in you.
• Offer other modes of payment
You must take into consideration your tenant’s convenience. I suggest that you offer them options for paying their rent. Some of them may be too busy to hand you a check personally. They should have an option to pay online because they can do it anywhere with their gadgets. Doing so will show them that you value their time and can adjust to accommodate them.
Establishing and maintaining good relations with your tenants will benefit you in the long run. They will be motivated to be good tenants because you are a good landlord.