The Importance of Communication
Communicating with your tenants is a fundamental element of management. As a property manager, it’s important that you do everything you can to make yourself available—and responsive—to your tenants. Simply answering their questions promptly or dealing with minor maintenance issues as they arise. Don’t underestimate these seemingly small actions; they go a long way in creating goodwill among your tenants and strengthening relationships. Plus, responding promptly and professionally demonstrates that you truly care about them as individuals and are committed to their success at home. In turn, tenants who feel cared for tend to be more satisfied with their homes and stay longer than those who don’t.
A Good Start
Don’t wait until there is a problem, or you need to communicate, to introduce yourself and offer to be of assistance. That first connection is crucial.
Addressing Issues Quickly
Making sure you respond quickly to tenant concerns is essential in building good tenant relations. Whether it’s a clogged toilet or a door that won’t lock, dealing with issues as they arise is better than waiting for a full-blown complaint. When tenants don’t have immediate access to someone who can help them fix an issue, they may feel frustrated and contact their landlord with a more serious problem. This will cost you time and money—not to mention goodwill—and could result in your tenants moving out early. You should also be sure to address any maintenance issues right away, so your property doesn’t fall into disrepair over time.
Why Apologizing Makes a Difference
Most tenants understand that you can’t control everything in your rental property. The occasional leaky faucet or stray bug is simply part of life. But it only takes one poor experience with a landlord or property manager for tenants to become frustrated and want to leave. When things go wrong, make sure to apologize—and then fix whatever went wrong as quickly as possible. Apologizing will show tenants that you care about their experience, and fixing problems will show them that you are willing to work hard on their behalf. And both of these actions will help keep them from looking elsewhere when they need a new place to live!
Don’t Ignore Problems
Address tenant issues immediately—whether they are small or large. The faster you fix problems, no matter how large or small will give your tenants a better overall experience. Addressing their issues quickly and professionally will help ensure that they have positive associations with your property management company. If you’re unable to address an issue when it first arises, be sure to follow up with them and let them know that you are working on resolving their problem and give them an estimated time for completion of repairs.
Know Who You Are Dealing With
Before taking any kind of action, it’s important to understand your tenant and what they’re all about. Read through their lease, talk with other employees about them. This will help you deal with your tenant in a way that doesn’t make them feel like a stranger, but rather someone who is already familiar to you. If there are things on their lease that aren’t being followed, such as late rent payments or damage done by them or a pet, address these issues right away so they don’t become bigger problems later on.
Keep It Positive
One of your top priorities as a property manager is to keep tenants happy. After all, satisfied tenants pay their rent on time and keep noise levels low. Negative comments about your company on social media, on review sites, or in forums could lead prospective renters to look elsewhere. And if existing tenants post negative remarks, it’s likely other people will hear about it—and possibly complain as well. To prevent that from happening, encourage positive reviews by being responsive and fair when dealing with tenant issues: If a resident has an issue they can’t resolve with you or one of your employees, ask how you can help rectify the situation quickly—and then follow through.
Their Attitude
Most often your tenant will respond with friendliness as well. Sometimes you get a tenant that is hostile and combative. Take a deep breath and try to remember this is not about you. I tell myself I don’t know all the issues in their life or business. Let them vent if they need to, and respond quickly to their problem.
Offer Solutions, Not Excuses
If a tenant brings up an issue, don’t just say it is what it is. Instead, explain how you plan to address it and offer solutions. It will show your tenants that you’re listening and working with them rather than blaming them for a problem. A little bit of effort can go a long way in building trust and fostering better relationships.
Increased Job Satisfaction
A bonus to this style of communication is increased job satisfaction. If you see the shopping centers, industrial buildings, office complexes, or apartment communities you manage as a to-do list of problems to be solved you are going to burn out in commercial property management. If you see them as a place full of interesting people that you can help, coming to work has real satisfaction.