Tips for maintaining a landlord/tenant relationship

Clear and effective communication is key to maintaining good relationships with tenants to avoid disputes and rent arears.

They say that communication is key to a good relationship, and this is certainly true for landlord/tenant relationships.

Learning to communicate information effectively, clearly and professionally with tenants helps to prevent problems occurring and mistakes being made. It also paves the way for a pleasant and amicable business relationship.

Here are six tips for communicating more effectively with tenants:

Be transparent –From your property ad, to communicating tenancy agreement terms, always be transparent and honest with tenants to avoid misunderstanding and disappointment.

Respond swiftly –Make sure that you respond swiftly to tenant queries and problems to provide an excellent level of service and to encourage tenants to do the same.

Offer multiple ways to communicate with you –Give tenants multiple ways of getting in touch with you to make communication more convenient. Whilst some tenants will be happy to call, others may find it suits their lifestyle better to text or email.

Communicate clearly –Make sure all communications are clear and easy to understand. When you hand over the tenancy agreement, make sure you have gone through and explained the terms with the tenant so that they understand what they’re agreeing to and what is expected from them.

Send alerts and reminders –Tenants may not always remember everything that has been put down on paper, so make courtesy calls or send text reminders when an important date or event is coming up. This could include events like the end of their tenancy agreement, property inspections or servicing appointments.

Respect boundaries and privacy – Avoid showing up at the property unannounced and always give tenants plenty of warning if you plan to visit. If you need to have repairs or maintenance carried out on the property make sure that you communicate with your tenant clearly to arrange a time and day that is convenient for them.