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Property Managers play a vital role for both the landlord and tenant. Landlords trust that their Property Managers are on top of ensuring that their rental property runs smoothly. On the other hand, the tenants rely on their Property Managers to serve them well and address any concerns. Good property management will reduce the turnover rate significantly and help establish and maintain a good relationship with your tenants.
Create a good customer experience
Just like any other business establishment, customer experience is the key to making the customers happy. It means that as a Property Manager, you may influence your tenant’s emotions and make every interaction something positive.
Here is a property manager’s guide on impactful but straightforward tips on how to keep tenants happy.
Start with a good onboarding
The customer experience starts once the tenant moves in. Why not make a good first impression by providing a welcome letter? It will not only make you look approachable and friendly, but it will also show that you are professional and you take giving service seriously.
Your welcome letter may include that you are delighted in their moving into the property. You may also document some critical information such as your contact details, contact information for services, schedule of rent collection, answers to frequently asked questions, neighbor’s information, and trash pick-up.
Be accessible and respond quickly
Since you gave your contact details to the tenants, make sure that you are accessible and answer their calls, text messages, emails, or chats. If you cannot respond for any reason, let them know the duration wherein you cannot attend to them, who they can reach out to while you are away, and when you will be back. Through this, you are making your tenants feel that you value their time and concerns.
Monitor the property’s maintenance needs
To keep tenants happy and protected, keep up with the needed regular maintenance of the property. If there are repairs such as broken appliances or plumbing, address them without delay too. Through this, you will prevent worse problems later on like costs, complaints, or even legal actions.
You may also want to invest in online property management software that offers automated maintenance ticket management and tracking of job requests. This service can level- up the tenant’s experience, especially for millennials who want to do things efficiently in one click.
Respect your tenant’s privacy
Respect begets respect. Do not access your tenant’s rented place without permission unless if there is an emergency. If you need to conduct an inspection or take care of a repair, make sure to notify them early so they can fix their schedule and be present while you do your business.
Offer something new
It is also good to learn what your tenants like. Ask them what facilities and amenities they wish you have- are they interested in free high-speed internet? Do they like a beautiful outdoor garden or secured bike racks, or a lounge area? If budget permits, you may add this to your offerings to keep your tenants satisfied. They will also feel good that you listen to their suggestions.
Be proactive in updating lease renewals
Another feature of most online property management software is that it helps you check near expiration leases. You can easily update your tenants if their lease is near expiration to let them know that you are interested in renewing their lease with them. Tenants will appreciate your proactive advice so that they can also plan earlier if they will continue their lease or not.
Give incentives to good tenants
Tenants will always appreciate receiving incentives for good behavior. You may offer them incentives such as free carpet cleaning or a new fixture to keep your good tenants. You may also consider forgoing a rent increase for a year to retain your good tenants and get them to renew their lease.
Enforce rules fairly
Manage your tenants and keep the place safe and orderly by enforcing the rules correctly. Remind erring tenants if they do not use the facilities correctly, which may damage it. Reinforce to them the policies agreed upon in the lease contract.
If you get complaints from other tenants about someone who plays too loud music or gets drunk and noisy or someone who seems to be using drugs, talk to them first in an objective manner. Let them know of the situation and the effect of their behavior. If they persist in breaking the rules and policies, let them know the next steps that you will undertake. If worst comes to worst and you need to evict a bad tenant, make sure you follow the state rules on eviction proceedings.
Conclusion
A successful Property Manager keeps his tenants happy and satisfied by staying sensitive and responsive to their needs. After all, it is not just the property you are taking care of, but also the people living on the property. Nurture not just the physical home but the relationships with the tenants as well.
About The Author:
Katreena is a scientist and a life hack specialist. She’s authored scientific journals on biotechnology and molecular biology. To take a break from scientific journals, she puts her mind into writing about lifestyle, health, and sustainability. She strongly believes that kindness makes the world go round.