Landlord-Tenant Relationship Tips: National Common Courtesy Day

In the best of times, landlord-tenant relationships can be challenging to navigate. It’s hard to know which behaviors are laud-worthy or a liability. Fortunately, there are a few staple pointers you can refer to when in doubt. Let’s crunch the details of how exactly you can foster a positive landlord-tenant relationship and in turn, enhance tenant retention and satisfaction.

Table of Contents

• Why You Should Maintain Good Landlord-Tenant Relationships
• How to Communicate Effectively as a Landlord
• Take Charge of Tenant Retention with BMG NVA

Why You Should Maintain Good Landlord-Tenant Relationships

For many, it goes without saying why landlords would want to foster a better landlord-tenant relationship. These relationships are a landlord’s lifeblood. However, if you need a refresher, here’s a crash course on the benefits of good landlord-tenant relationships.

Benefits of Following Landlord Etiquette

Rent payments: Tenants who know and trust you will be more incentivized to pay their rent on time. As property managers in Northern Virginia, we know that tenants will do this out of the usual obligation, of course, but also out of respect for you. This is possibly the biggest tangible benefit of a positive landlord-tenant relationship.

• Efficient maintenance and repair requests: You can dispel some of the tension that comes with these requests when you have a friendly rapport with your tenants.
• Smoother negotiation: When you and your tenants have a foundation of trust in one another, it can make it easier to communicate your way out of any possible issues.
• Lease renewals: Tenants who believe in you and feel you have their best interests in mind may be more likely to renew their lease.

How to Communicate Effectively as a Landlord

There are a number of tips you should stash away in your mind when you interact with your tenants. These areas of concern could make or break your rapport with your tenant. Take out your pen and paper for the techniques below.

1. Offer digital rent collection: Digital rent collection can be much simpler and easier for tenants to use than other types of payment. Not only could this improve how timely you receive your payments, but it can also show that you care about your tenants. Simple fixes like this display attention to detail and to making your tenants’ experiences as pleasant as possible. After all, people lead busy lives, and they will be grateful that they don’t have to take time out of their day to drop off their payments.
2. Make Your Rent Affordable: Times are tough, and many people are struggling to make ends meet. You will be a lifesaver if you keep your rent at a reasonable rate. Tenants will know you care and have a solid moral compass. As cheesy as it sounds, you will win a gold star with them.
3. Make your rules crystal clear: When you make your expectations clear from the start, it shows organization, initiative, and reliability. It gives tenants the guidance they want. They get a better idea of how they should operate and less leeway to plead ignorance of broken rules. Be on hand to answer questions and concerns, whether it’s through office hours or special community meetings. When you and your tenants are on the same page, each party will find it easier to communicate. And because tenants want consistency and clarity in their relationships with their landlords, the following tips are good rules of thumb:

5 Tenant Orientation Tips for Landlords

1. 1. Lease agreement: Thoroughly go over the lease agreement with the tenant before they sign it. This way, they have fully consented to your terms.
   2. Rights and responsibilities: Make sure your tenant is aware of their rights and responsibilities. This makes them feel empowered and encouraged to exercise their rights.
   3. State of your property: Be transparent about any problems the property may have, as well as solutions to those problems. Doing this, despite the possible inconvenience to you, shows real honesty and integrity.
   4. Maintenance and repair policies: Explain the maintenance and repair request process, as well as who will carry out those requests. When you do this, they can have the information they need on a rainy day.
   5. Kept promises: Be sure that you only make promises you can keep. That way, your tenants won’t be led astray.

When you lay all this information out on the table, tenants will feel prepared and supported. They will know their landlord is looking out for them.

5. Speediness is King: Tenants pay special attention to how quickly and efficiently you resolve their concerns. When tenants face issues, you must swiftly resolve those issues to ensure they are not inconvenienced. Your initiative will display how seriously you take accountability for your tenants’ experiences. If time management is a struggle for you, professional property managers can be an indispensable resource. They can help you cultivate tenant retention when you’re spread too thin.
6. Privacy: You may have to assess your rental property sometimes. This is all well and good, but if you do this out of nowhere, it will disorient tenants. Legally, you must give tenants prior notice before you knock on their door. However, even outside of that, it’s just good manners to give them time and notice to prepare for your arrival. If you come to your tenants’ doorsteps unannounced, it will shake their sense of security and stability. Their house is their personal space, their own bubble. You must respect that. And when you do have to enter someone’s premises, work around your tenants’ schedules to arrange when this will happen. It’s also a good idea to follow up after every check-up to make sure that tenants felt safe and comfortable during the prior inspection. Also, it’s best to keep contact at a minimum so that you don’t disrupt your tenants’ daily lives. Your tenants have a lot on their plates, as it is.
7. Employ a Qualified Property Management Company: It can be challenging to maintain a positive landlord-tenant relationship when you have the wrong property management company. You could lose tenants if you make the wrong choice. Your reputation could suffer. That’s why it’s so crucial to choose a qualified, experienced property management company.If you want to increase your tenant retention, you should choose a property management company that prioritizes customer service. After all, property managers will be handling most of the interactions you would have with tenants. You should always make sure that property managers are equipped with the social know-how to preserve smooth, friendly tenant relations. They should have legal expertise, conflict resolution skills, and organizational skills to keep your properties running effectively.

Take Charge of Tenant Retention with BMG NVA

Trusted tips like clear communication and quick problem resolution will help you retain tenants. However, doing all the above things is easier said than done. When you have dozens of tenants, there’s only so much time in a day to serve each one like they deserve. And that can make some people feel backed into a corner, faced with impossible responsibilities.

This is where property managers come into play. Property managers can make your life convenient and your properties more tightly supervised. After all, property management is all they do, all day, every day. Property managers have the expertise and hands-on deck needed to make sure every single tenant is satisfied. And when your tenants are satisfied, your pockets and peace will be, too. Call Bay Property Management in North Virginia today to simplify your landlord obligations and secure tenant retention.