A professional and respectful relationship with your tenants is good for your property and your investment experience. The basics of the relationship are pretty simple: You’re providing a safe, habitable, and pleasant home for your California Wine Country tenants to live in, and they are agreeing to pay rent on time and help take care of the property. When both parties live up to their ends of the bargain, things go pretty smoothly.
But if you’re interested in tenant retention, which leads to a higher return on investment (ROI), you may want to take a few steps to really nurture that relationship and ensure that you’re delivering the best possible experience to your tenants.
Here are some ways to build a better tenant relationship.
Communicate and Listen to Residents
Good tenants appreciate responsive landlords. Make sure your communication plan starts with listening. Tenants want to be heard, especially when something isn’t going right. Make sure you’re available and accessible to them, and let them know you understand what they expect from you.
When you understand what your tenants need, you can do a better job of meeting those needs. Even if a tenant is complaining, fight the impulse to get defensive or to shut down. Keep the lines of communication open at all times, and be willing to hold yourself and your tenant accountable. Good communication is something all tenants are looking for in a landlord, and when you lead by example by communicating well, you can count on a better relationship.
Respond Right Away to Repair Requests
Tenants tend to become frustrated very quickly when their repair requests are ignored or dismissed. Making maintenance a priority will lead to better tenant relationships. There have been multiple surveys and studies that show the number one reason tenants leave the property they’re renting is because there’s a terrible response to repair requests.
Your relationship with tenants depends on customer service, especially during the maintenance process. Stay in touch with them throughout the repair process and follow up after the work has been done to make sure everything is in good shape.
Update Property Management Technology to Provide Convenience
More of your tenants are likely working from home than before 2020, and the people renting homes are beginning to value good technology like never before. There are a new set of expectations among tenants, who may insist on high speed internet and smart home upgrades such as video doorbells and digital thermostats. These things matter, and if you’re willing to modernize your home and give tenants what they want and need, you’ll find they appreciate your willingness to understand them and deliver what makes their lives easier.
This includes updating your own technology as it pertains to managing your property. Offer online rent collection and maintenance reporting. Tenants don’t want to drop off paper checks any longer. They appreciate online rental payments and a portal where they can submit routine maintenance requests in writing on their own time and from the comfort of their own homes. Make sure you’re set up for these things and if you’re not, consider reaching out to our professional property managers in Sonoma County.
A positive relationship with your tenant will lead to a more pleasant rental experience for everyone.
If you find tenant relationships are challenging for you because of the lack of time and resources you may have, contact us at Healdsburg Property Management. We manage single-family homes, duplexes, four-plexes and multi-unit properties of up to seven units throughout Sonoma County’s Wine Country, including Healdsburg, Windsor, Northern Santa Rosa, Cloverdale and Forestville – and we can be your best representative when it comes to leasing, managing, and maintaining your Sonoma County rental home.