Tips For Resolving Tenant Complaints

Part of being a landlord is dealing with tenants and their complaints. This can be about neighbors that are too noisy, problems with something in the house or apartment, or maybe they want to have a pet, or an extra person living with them. How you deal with these complaints can mean keeping a good tenant or having problems with them. Addressing the problems quickly means you won’t have to worry about other problems in the future.

One of the first steps to solving tenant complaints is to make sure that your renters are comfortable coming to you about problems they may have. Have a time set aside each week that you are completely available to any of your renters’ calls, so they know you are there for them on a regular basis. Stay in contact with them regularly, be friendly, check in with them to see if there are any problems with the house or apartment, and make regular inspections, with notice of course, just to check to see if everything is functioning properly.

Solving tenant complaints also means being one step ahead of the problems. Do regular maintenance, both on the rental itself as well as the landscaping. Have an inspection of the structural integrity at least once a year and also have a reliable plumber, electrician, and general handyman on call 24/7. The faster an emergency is taken care of, the more your tenants will love you. A tenant that knows they can come to you with a problem and it gets fixed within twenty-four hours is a tenant who will respect their landlord rather than threatening to move out or sue.

It is a landlord’s responsibility to always make sure that the rental unit is up to code, before, during and after a tenant moves in. A landlord is responsible for checking the rental regularly for leaking faucets, faulty outlets, and any other repairs in the building, as well as the grounds. It is also the responsibility of the landlord to make sure all the walkways, sidewalks, and landscaping are well maintained, the snow and leaves are cleared, and that everything is safe.

There are also many times that you are going to have to deal with a tenant’s personal problems, like a neighbor that is loud. These you also have to deal with in a timely manner, like pointing out the noise regulations on the lease with the offending neighbors. If a verbal warning doesn’t work then you need to put it in writing, with a copy to both sets of tenants. That way the offending tenant is notified by official channels, and the complainer knows that you are in the process of doing something about it.

You can be the most wonderful landlord in the world, if you are constantly on top of things that are going on with your rentals. If you are vigilant and solve problems as quickly as they arise, it will ensure that your tenants will want to stay where they are, rather than having to move and deal with a landlord that is not as good or attentive.