Blog Post

5 Common Tenant Calls that Property Managers Handle

Dustin Edwards • February 28, 2020

Are these the tenant calls you want to handle?

Top Tenant Phone Calls
When you have your first rental in Long Beach one of the first considerations that many owners have is should they lease and manage the property themselves or should they hire a property management company? The topic of whether to hire a property management company or manage it yourself is a larger discussion but one item that might help is understanding what types of calls do property managers handle?

Before we share our top items one aspect to remind yourself, especially if this is your first rental, is that a tenant should have the ability to reach you when it is convenient for them and to get items repaired in a timely manner. Many of our rentals in Long Beach are single family homes. People transitioning from an apartment to renting a home are used to having a manager on-site or easily accessible and when that home is your rental be prepared to be accessible. So what exactly are the common calls?

  • There is water all under my sink”- Oh the dishwasher! It is a wonderful item of convenience but when it goes bad it can go bad and wreck your cabinets. Be prepared to handle not only replacing a dishwasher but the inevitable repair of cabinets that can occur when it goes bad.
  • I only have cold water” - Water heaters are one of those systems that people have little patience for dealing with. When a water heater goes out no one wants to deal with taking cold showers. Whether you have a tankless or a traditional water heater this one is one to be prepared for.
  • I’m locked out” - Yes, believe it or not this is more common than you would think. It could be as simple as someone locked the door handle, left in a hurry and didn’t realize they locked their keys until they got home at night. Be prepared to have an extra set of keys on hand to help your tenant get back to enjoying your property.
  • My toilet or sink is backed up” - No matter how new the toilet and plumbing is this is a very real possibility. It could be something as simple where a plunger suffices or it could be something more like replacement of a garbage disposal or something major like needing to replace a mainline. When you are managing your own property make sure to have at least two trusted plumbers at the ready that you can call.
  • It seems like a socket is working” - In the era of everything needing more power you will hear quickly if one of the electrical sockets isn’t working. While your gut reaction might be “can’t you use another one”? the reality is that they all need to work. For a job like this you could call an electrician or even a handyman as the job is smaller.
These are just a fraction of the calls you could receive. Reducing tenant calls comes down to an efficient tenant screening process and ensuring the property is kept in top shape that allows the tenant enjoy a long rental period at the property.

When you want to find out more about the calls we can handle when you have your property managed by Beach Cities Property Management we invite you to call us at (562) 888-0247 to see how we answer your call. If you prefer we can we can perform a free rental analysis on your property to see if you are maximizing your rental income.


Share this post

By Dustin Edwards January 17, 2025
A new year is a new chance to start new ideas to bring in prospects to your property. Consider the following 5 ideas to engage prospects and get new tenants.
By Dustin Edwards January 10, 2025
Having clear communication with your tenant is essential for maintaining a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. By being transparent in all relevant interactions, landlords can prevent misunderstandings while resolving repairs and disputes efficiently while improving tenant satisfaction. Having good communication with your tenant is beneficial for landlords too. Effective communication also protects your investment property. Remember that while your tenant is living in the property, landlords need to take care of the repairs. Below are the three best things to do during tenant communications. Prompt Responses Addressing tenant concerns quickly is essential for building trust and maintaining a positive relationship. Tenants feel valued when landlords respond quickly, knowing that their needs are being prioritized. Building this trust not only enhances your tenant’s satisfaction it lowers the possibility of conflicts or misunderstandings to arise. This ultimately creates a healthy and successful rental experience for you and your tenant. Some of the most common inquiries will oftentimes include repair requests, among others. As an example; if your tenant reports a leak under their faucet and the repair is delayed, this can be damaging to your landlord-tenant relationship, as well as your property. If left ignored, that leak can result in hundreds of dollars in water damage and a vacancy . Which can further affect our bottom line negatively. For landlords with multiple properties, this can become difficult to keep track of. A property manager can help with scheduling repairs and communicating with your tenant on your behalf. Document Everything Keeping a detailed record of all interactions with your tenant is an important element when managing a property. There are many choices for documentation including email, text, or written notices. Although many property management companies and landlords have opted to use apps or dedicated tenant portals to log communications. A great example, for instance, a tenant may claim they’d reported a repair issue that was never addressed, if everything is to be documented, both you and the tenant would have a copy of the request. Maintaining transparency with tenants. Having thorough documentation ensures agreements and requests between all parties are clearly tracked. Documenting communications with your tenant provides landlords with a foundation for addressing misunderstandings, or disputes if and when they arise. Provide Regular Updates Regular updates show tenants that their landlord is organized and has an attentive approach to managing their property. Giving tenants ample time for maintenance, inspections or policy changes is a simple way to build trust with your tenants while showing your professionalism. Giving tenants advanced notices reassures them that you’re aware of how changes can affect them and you understand that time might be needed in order to adjust. Surprises are best kept for birthday parties. Proactively notifying tenants of changes helps clear the communication channels and minimizes disruptions which helps tenants feel valued and satisfied. These small yet consistent efforts can contribute to a positive tenant stay, which can encourage lease renewals and long-term tenancy. Additionally, having a good relationship with your tenants can give you a great reputation which can provide you with leads when looking to fill a vacancy . It cannot be understated the importance of communication for a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. Even if your tenant may not agree with some of the decisions a landlord needs to make, by giving your tenants ample time to process the change tenants generally are more accepting of said change. If you’re having trouble communicating with your tenants or if you need help managing Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
By Dustin Edwards January 2, 2025
Keeping tenants safe, translates to happy and long-term tenants. Read to discover 5 Inexpensive ways to keep your tenants safe.
Show More
Share by: