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5 Tips for Improving Property Manager-Tenant Relationships

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It is essential to have positive relationships with your tenants and landlords as a property manager. The core challenge property managers face almost every day is finding the middle ground between tenant and landlord needs.

The property manager role can be stressful without good systems and processes for managing requests and resolutions.

With the right technology, property managers can manage more properties, which means higher productivity and profit.

Which relationship is more critical – Landlord or Tenant?

Your relationship with your client is the most important.  However, look after the tenant, and you’re also taking care of your client – the landlord.

Communication

There are a few reasons why having good relationships with your tenants is important. If tenants feel like they can approach you and that you care about their concerns, they will be more likely to want to stay in your client’s property long-term.

Did you know the average tenant will stay in your property for about three years?

Do a quick calculation to determine how long your tenants stay in the rental properties under your management.

Ideally, you want the tenancies to be as long as possible, so you don’t have to manage the end-of-tenancy and new tenant acquisition procedures.

Shorter tenancies incur higher costs for you and your client, the landlord.

Happy tenants are also less likely to cause problems. If tenants feel like they are being heard and their concerns are being addressed, they will be less likely to cause damage to your property or create other issues.

Plus, good tenant relationships can lead to referrals. If your tenants are happy with their experience living in your property, they are more likely to tell members of their network about your properties.

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If you want to improve your business’s bottom line and make your job as fulfilling as possible, prioritize your tenants’ duration in each property.

Five Tips For Improve Tenant Relationships

Here are five tips to help you improve your relationships with your tenants.

Be prepared to resolve maintenance issues quickly

If you are a property manager, you will run into maintenance issues sooner or later (if you haven’t already).

You must resolve them as quickly as possible when you do. After all, your tenants are paying you to keep the property in good condition, and if something goes wrong, they will want it fixed ASAP.

In some cases, maintenance issues require your immediate attention. For example, if there is a water leak, you will need to shut off the water and call a plumber right away. If your tenant has a mold problem, you will need to take care of it immediately.

These kinds of issues could become health issues that result in lawsuits if not handled right away.

Pest infestations also require immediate attention. If your tenant has a bug problem, it could quickly turn into an infestation that spreads to other units.

In other cases, you may have some time to resolve the issue. For example, if paint needed to be touched up, you could probably get it done at your earliest convenience. No matter what the issue is, it is crucial to be as responsive as possible. The sooner you can resolve the problem, the better.

Keep your promises to your tenants

When you make a promise to your tenant, you must keep it. This could be something as simple as telling them you will fix a broken window or replace a piece of damaged trim.

Follow through with any action you tell your tenants will happen. Plus, keep them informed of the progress so they do not wonder if what you say will happen will eventuate. Tenants will appreciate your communication, and it will go a long way in building trust between you and them.

Be diplomatic with difficult tenants

If you want to limit disputes with your tenants, make sure to be diplomatic with them. This means being respectful and professional, even if they are not. It is important to remember that you are the property manager, and it is your job to resolve the issue, not make it worse.

If a tenant is causing problems or not following the lease agreement rules, you will need to have a conversation with them.

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During this conversation, it is vital to be calm and collected. If you get angry or defensive, it will only worsen the situation.

Be flexible when you can

While it is important to hold your tenants accountable, you should also be flexible. If a tenant has a hard time making rent for one month, see if you can work something out with them. Maybe you can allow them to pay half now and half next month.

If a tenant wants to move out a few months early, see if you can make it happen. Yes, it may mean finding a new tenant sooner than you anticipated, but it could save you from having an empty unit for a few months.

Respond quickly and often

Responding to tenant questions and concerns quickly shows that you care about your tenants and their concerns and prevents small problems from turning into big ones.

If a tenant has a question about the lease agreement or wants to know when something will be fixed, make sure you respond as soon as possible.

Since you can’t be by your phone all the time, we recommend using an outside remote answering service that can help you manage tenant questions and concerns. This way, you can respond quickly and efficiently without worrying about missing a call.

Summary

Building good relationships with your tenants can help you avoid disputes, make it more likely that tenants will renew their lease, and make your job as a property manager much more manageable.

By following these tips, you can improve your relationships with your tenants and make your job a lot easier.