Being a landlord is often viewed negatively as a profession. People think landlords are more interested in making money than ensuring tenants’ needs are met. Such views do not help either tenants or landlords. A landlord with a better reputation is more likely to attract and retain tenants, so here is how to ensure you will be a tenant’s first choice.
Be Welcoming
You can create a good impression right from the start of a tenancy. Providing instructions for any equipment or services in the building (such as the procedure for rubbish collections) and brief guides to facilities in the local area can quickly win over tenants. Other gestures, such as ensuring the bathroom is stocked with toilet paper or providing new address labels, can reduce the stress of a move, which in turn encourages tenants to be positive towards you.
Be Available
Ensure your tenants have multiple ways to contact you – landline, mobile and email would all be good. You can leave the details in the property for when they arrive. Once you have done this, you must ensure you respond to any queries they send you as efficiently as possible. This includes explaining any details of the lease that might cause confusion.
Be Professional
Whilst you can be welcoming and available, you are not your tenants’ friend. A good first step is to dress professionally. This is a professional relationship after all, and that means you must establish rules and boundaries. Do not lose your temper if things go wrong, but return to the lease and its guidelines as well as any rules put in place by the local authority. Government guidelines to best practice for a landlord are easily available. As long as you follow procedure, the tenant cannot complain.
Use Technology
From communicating by email and keeping electronic copies of all documents to being aware of your online profile, internet awareness is vital. Most processes can now be done online, using everything from property inventory software (such as that at inventorybase) to online rent collection services. This serves to make record-keeping more accurate and efficient.
Whilst there are many ways in which the relationship between a landlord and tenant can go sour, following these few simple tips should help build your reputation, which in turn will encourage tenants to seek out and remain in your properties.
