As a landlord, the importance of maintaining a good relationship with your tenant cannot be underestimated. After all, this person is living in your property and they are paying money to you every month, so you want to make sure that everything is kept as smooth and positive as possible. This is easy with some tenants, whereas others can prove to be a bit troublesome. Either way, read on to discover some useful tips for maintaining a healthy landlord-tenant relationship.
Screen potential tenants – There is only one place to begin, and this is by choosing tenants for your property with care in the first place. When looking for the best tenants for your property, you need to make sure that they have a good history with previous landlords. You can check references, as well as verifying their identity and employment. It is also wise to conduct credit checks and criminal history.
Take care of your property – If you take care of your property and provide a good living experience for your tenants, they are going to be more likely to maintain a good relationship with you. There are a number of ways you can ensure that everything runs smoothly. This includes doing a yearly inspection and giving tenants notice – you shouldn’t turn up unexpected. Create a clear policy so you are all on the same page. Ensure maintenance issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently, which is something we will discuss in the next section.
Choose a reputable project management company – The importance of working with a Property Management company cannot be underestimated. If you don’t, you are going to need to make sure that all property issues are dealt with straight away, which means you are going to need to be available all of the time. You can’t simply tell your tenant to wait until you get back from holiday. If the boiler breaks in the middle of winter, for example, action must be taken within 24-hours by law.
Focus on customer service – It is important to view your property as a business. After all, this is what being a landlord is. You wouldn’t expect your bank or someone at your local supermarket to treat you with disrespect or a lack of professionalism, would you? So, why should a tenant expect anything different from their landlord? They are paying you for a service and so good customer service is a must.
So there you have it: some useful tips for maintaining a good relationship with your tenant. If you follow the suggestions that have been presented, you can increase your chances of enjoying a healthy relationship with your tenant and everything running smoothly while you are renting to them.
