Good communication is a key component of the tenant-landlord relationship. Rental property management is built on a foundation of trust and good relationships with others. When done well, effective communication can help you grow your bottom line and help you minimize your liability. But tenant relations and communication skills do not always come as expected. For many Hendersonville rental property owners, to master these skills, they regularly must be practiced over time. To reduce liability and promote tenant relations, here are a few effective methods that can be utilized with any approach to managing rental properties.
1. Make Yourself Available
One of the good ideas to encourage effective communication between yourself and your tenants is to inform them that you can answer their calls and questions. It’s essential to demonstrate a willingness to respond to them when they reach out, encouraging them to communicate more honestly and more often. By performing regular conversations with your tenants, you are more likely to discover developing maintenance and repair issues early on, as well as any other potential risks. In this way, you can minimize liability proactively and avoid unnecessary confrontations in the future.
2. Offer Multiple Ways to Communicate
Today’s communications landscape covers a wide variety of methods to encourage frequent, effective communication between a landlord and your tenant. For this reason, it’s necessary to become familiar with your tenant and offer them more than one way to communicate with you. For a few tenants, a simple phone call or email may work best. Others may prefer to talk with you by text or another messaging platform. Whatever method you choose, don’t forget to document your communications and follow any applicable laws when your communications involve the lease or legal issues.
3. Keep It Positive
One of the primary reasons many tenants avoid talking to their landlord is that such conversations are always negative. Various landlords only contact their tenants when there is a problem, which creates the tenant to develop negative associations with their landlord, justified or not. To avoid this situation and encourage effective communication with your tenant, try to communicate positive information to them on a frequent basis. Send them updates on property renovations or repairs, or provide them with information about fun local events. Like that, when you do need to bring up more serious matters, your tenants will be more eager to listen and respond.
4. Build Trust
In the tenant-landlord relationship, it’s imperative to remember that building trust works for both individuals. Not only should you trust your tenant, but they also need to trust you to communicate effectively with you. You can build trust with your tenant by keeping to your word, doing what you say you will do, and delivering promised repairs promptly. You can also encourage their confidence by handling them and their time with respect. Make small, respectful gestures like bringing lots of advance notice for maintenance visits and inspections and being honest with your tenant when they ask questions. By doing so, you also encourage them to help you keep close tabs on your valuable investment.
As a Hendersonville property owner and landlord, minimizing liability is always a concern. Yet, with effective communication with your tenants, you can better manage the risks and build a positive professional relationship with those renting your home. Obviously, communicating with tenants necessitates time, attention, and a commitment to be available around the clock. If you have other activities on your plate, you could consider hiring a property management company like Real Property Management Key Response to arrange tenant relations for you. We make communications quick and uncomplicated, something your tenants are sure to appreciate. In addition, you’ll free up your time for your other important tasks. Contact us online today or give us a call at 615-953-8700.
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