A positive landlord-tenant relationship is just as important as running smooth rental operations. It's an essential part of property management, but it might not be clear how to accomplish that especially since it goes beyond laws and lease agreements.
So we’re here to guide you through it. Let’s discuss some top-notch strategies for protecting yourself as a landlord while improving your relationships with your tenants.
Following State and Local Laws
Let’s start with the bare minimum requirements to keep you in line with the law:
Fair Housing Laws
Keep in mind that there are fair housing laws in place that prevent landlords from denying tenancy based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. Not only is this unethical, but it is also illegal when crafting a lease agreement. This will hurt the reputation of your rental property and land you in legal trouble.
Basic Housing Standards
Your rental unit must meet the standards provided by landlord-tenant laws. For it to be considered habitable housing, it must have doors and windows that lock, the unit should be free of vermin and mold, should have heat and ventilation, running water, and a properly installed electrical system. This will encourage tenants to pay monthly rent payments on time and will establish mutual respect in landlord-tenant relationships.
Rent Increases
According to California law, you cannot issue rent increases during the term of a lease. If you will implement an increase when a lease term ends, you have to provide a 30-day written notice if it is month-to-month, or if it is less than a 10% increase. However, the written notice must be given 90 days prior if you intend to increase the rent payments by more than 10%.
Building a Strong Foundation
Conducting Meticulous Tenant Screening
Before building a relationship with prospective tenants, you must first screen your applicants carefully to ensure that you get renters who are easy to get along with and would follow your lease terms. Some of the criteria Provident Property Management uses include credit checks, criminal history, eviction history, employment verification, and more.
Drafting a Comprehensive Lease Agreement
The key to a healthy landlord-tenant relationship is to establish your terms first so that the tenants have clear expectations for the rules, boundaries, and tenant responsibilities. It's also a good way to filter out applicants who don't agree with your terms as the property owner.
Making the Move-In Process Smooth
Ensuring a smooth move-in process shows the landlord's commitment to the new renter and can create a solid foundation. It'll immediately show how attentive you are as a landlord when you assist tenants and will go a long way in starting a positive landlord-tenant relationship with them.
Effective Communication
Becoming Approachable
Being approachable allows your tenants to issue repair or maintenance requests without the fear of a negative response. Other than tenant satisfaction, it also means that any problem will quickly be resolved since they'll tell you about it right away. This can ultimately contribute to the long-term success of your rental property, especially if you acknowledge tenant feedback.
Creating Communication Channels
One of the best ways to foster successful landlord-tenant relationships is by creating communication channels they can contact you with. You can use a property management software that offers this feature, or hire a company that has in-house portals tenants can use. Most property management companies use their portal for maintenance requests and streamlined rent collection.
Responding Quickly
Responding promptly to tenant concerns or maintenance requests is a key aspect of building a positive landlord-tenant relationship. This significantly boosts tenant satisfaction, which is important for a successful rental business. If you can't respond to concerns immediately, it's best to hire a property manager who is capable of attending to tenant concerns 24/7.
Keeping a Cool Head
When dealing with matters like late rent payments, tenant-caused property damage, or other sensitive concerns, it's important to remember your professional relationship with your renters. Answer politely and calmly explain your side. Not only is this the key to a healthy landlord-tenant relationship, but it could also encourage tenants to respectfully relay their disputes.
Being an Ethical Landlord
Respecting Tenant Privacy
One of the keys to a strong landlord-tenant relationship is knowing your boundaries as well. Understand that when a tenant occupies a rental unit, you have a legal obligation to respect their privacy. That means that when you do regular property inspections or address maintenance issues, you still need to notify them beforehand and not just enter at will.
Being Mindful of Neighbors
If you live within the rental property, be mindful of nearby tenants. Positive landlord-tenant relationships are based on mutual respect, and if noises bother you, then you should also try to nurture a peaceful living environment for your tenants and follow your own property rules for a harmonious relationship.
Handling Conflict and Disputes Without Bias
For higher tenant satisfaction, you must treat all parties involved fairly, including yourself. If you're in the wrong, accept your mistake and the consequences. If there is a dispute between two tenants, settle it through proper communication or let a third party handle mediation if you can't remain impartial. Once it's settled, maintain positive landlord-tenant interactions.
Benefits of a Successful Landlord-Tenant Relationship
Reduced Tenant Turnover: When you treat tenants with respect and fairness, it will lead to longer tenancies and you'll have to worry about vacancies less.
Consistent Rental Income: Property owners are more likely to get consistent income in their rental properties if their tenants are happy and residing in a comfortable living environment. This leads to more lease renewals and less vacancy costs.
Little to No Legal Issues: Having a good landlord-tenant relationship means you can handle disputes with the tenant amicably instead of resorting to legal action to resolve the matter.
Smoother Rental Property Management: It contributes to your overall management since lease terms are more likely to be respected when tenants have a good relationship with their landlord.
Is Hiring a Property Management Company Worth It?
If you have a rental property with several dwelling units, it can easily get overwhelming to oversee all tenant issues and maintain positive relationships with them. This is where an available property manager 24/7 can be beneficial to your business.
Companies like Provident Property Management have all the resources to handle all aspects of the business, including around-the-clock responses to your tenants. We can help you maximize your property investment in several ways. Interested to learn more? Contact us for a free consultation to find out what we can do to help.
