Communicating effectively with your tenants starts with the very first interaction – often a screening phone call. When a prospective tenant calls with inquiries about a property, they should be given a clear explanation of the screening criteria. This allows you to establish expectations about the landlord-tenant relationship right from the start, making things clear and transparent.
After you screen the potential tenant, another part of the effective communication process is to go over the lease documents. Your lease documents are more than just a legal contract. They should also inform the tenant of what responsibilities there are for both the landlord and the tenants, 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. In doing this, you’re telling your tenants that you have every intention of being transparent using regular communication. Good thing is, we have the software, apps, and online tenant portals that can help with tenant-landlord communication. Ask questions and encourage clarifications. Make the details clear and transparent so that your tenants will know what is expected of them, and what their responsibilities are.
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 example, make sure you give a heads up to your tenant by putting it in your lease agreement. Indicate when you have plans to do routine maintenance and make sure they know how many times they can expect it to occur. Certain laws dictate the timeframe of when a landlord may enter the property for routine maintenance. You can always increase that timeframe to favor the convenience of the tenant. Most experts agree that it’s good practice to serve the notice a week before the intended routine maintenance through several formats (a call, an email, text, etc).
In the case of an emergency, effective communication takes on a new urgency. As a property owner, you should make sure that you are available to your tenants in the event of a serious property problem. Your response must be prompt and proactive. As soon as those emergency concerns come to you, it’s always best to address them no later than a few hours after being informed. And, make sure you give updates to your tenant so that they are aware of what you are doing to address their concern. By keeping the lines of communication open, your tenants will find it easier to trust you throughout their tenancy.
To conclude, don’t forget to practice the golden rule in your exchanges with your tenants. Remember to consistently treat your tenants with the same level of courtesy and respect that you expect to receive from them. This way, you create a culture of effective communication. Of course, hiring a trusty Bloomingdale property manager is also a great way to provide clear and effective communication with all your tenants. Contact us online or at 202-813-9993 today to learn more.