Communicating effectively with your tenants starts with the very first interaction – often a screening phone call. When prospective tenant calls about a property, make sure that you can lay out for them the screening criteria. This will give a glimpse into who this potential tenant is, and it also allows you to establish expectations about the landlord-tenant relationship.
After screening your tenant, you might want to go ahead and go through the lease documents with him/her. This is another means of effective communication. Your lease documents are more than just a legal contract. They should also clearly articulate the responsibilities of both parties, as well as things like landscaping maintenance, parking, and pets, to name a few. Your lease should also state how you intend to communicate with the tenant in the future. It’s wise to show your tenants that you are willing to communicate with them regularly. Good thing is, we have the software, apps, and online tenant portals that can help with tenant-landlord communication. By discussing the lease documents, you are opening up an avenue for questions and/or clarifications. This encourages your tenants to take their responsibilities seriously.
Effective tenant communication should not cease after the tenant moves in. To keep the lines of communication open, you need to establish a set of guidelines for how and when regular communication will take place. As an illustration, you can place the guidelines in your lease. This way, the routine maintenance won’t be a huge disruption of your tenant’s activities. Be sure to indicate when you intend to do it, and how many times within a specific period. State and local landlord laws sometimes set the timeframe but you can always adjust them, to show your tenant that you value his/her convenience. Industry experts suggest that a week’s advanced notice before the routine maintenance should be good enough and that it should be delivered in multiple formats (call, text, etc).
In the case of an emergency, effective communication takes on a new urgency. As a property owner, find a way to guarantee that your tenants can contact you in the event of a serious property problem. Your response must be prompt and proactive. As much as possible, deal with emergency repair requests no later than a few hours after the tenant contacts you. And then, reassure your tenant that you are handling the situation by sending them feedback and updates. By keeping the lines of communication open, you can provide better service to your tenants throughout their tenancy.
In conclusion, don’t forget to practice the golden rule in your transactions with your tenants. The level of courtesy and respect that you expect for yourself is what you’re expected to show your tenants. When this happens, it will be easier to foster a culture of effective communication. Of course, hiring a trusted Downers Grove property manager is also a great way to establish clear and effective communication with all your tenants. Contact us online or at 630-427-2200 today to learn more.