It is very important for a landlord to build good relationships with their tenants. Tenants are the ones that provide you business and to keep them happy is part of your job. Unsatisfied tenants are short-term tenants; they can leave you at any point in time.
The challenge comes when you are supposed to keep them happy for long-term business relations. To become a good landlord you need to understand your tenants. When you are unable to connect or open up to your tenants, it is hard to make a good long-term relationship with them.
Happy tenants also help you in building your network. They might post good reviews, discuss you in their social gatherings and spread a good word for you. That’s why it is important to prioritize your relationship with your tenants for an excellent business scope.
There a few things that a landlord should remember in order to build a sustainable and lasting relationship with their tenants.
- Provide your tenants with excellent customer service
- Listen to every inquiry and complaint they make
- Never delay in responding to them
- Ask for home improvement suggestions from your tenants
- Provide your tenants with benefits for living in your house
- If you are planning on increasing the rent, inform your tenants before time
- Don’t force the rent on them
- Keep the rent lower than that of the market so that your tenants feel special
- Low rent makes your tenants stay
- Explain them the reason for raising the rent
- If you are planning to visit the place, make sure you inform your tenants before time
- Don’t make frequent visits to the house, it disturbs their privacy
- Make improvements and renovations to the house from time to time, this way your tenants feel good living in your house
- Provide your tenants with free house cleaning and re-painting
- Never get annoyed on your tenant’s requests
- Most importantly, your attitude counts
- Speak politely and listen to your tenants
Holding onto tenants for long-term is beneficial for a landlord. Finding a new tenant takes up a lot of time and money, not to mention that a vacant unit might cost you substantial amounts of money. That’s why it is important to build a good relationship with your tenants and make them happy so that they stay with you longer.