Best Practices for Effective Landlord and Tenant Communication
Dustin Edwards • October 5, 2021
Communication is Essential for Success with Rental Properties
Communicating well with your tenants is essential to being a successful landlord. If you can relate to your tenants, they will feel comfortable with you and will appreciate having a landlord they can rely on and trust. This trust will cultivate respect toward you and your Long Beach rental.
However, fostering strong and successful connection can be challenging, especially for new landlords. To help alleviate this difficulty, here are some of the best practices for effective communication between landlords and their tenants.
Identify a Preferred Contact Method
One of the most important steps toward effective communication is finding a contact method that both parties are comfortable and proficient in. The most common contact methods are texting, emailing, or calling. All three options are fairly easy and require little transfer of information other than a phone number or email address.
Since everyone has different preferences when it comes to communicating, you should have a conversation with new tenants about how they would prefer to contact you. Using their preferred contact method will better guarantee a response if you need to contact them.
Additionally, it may be helpful to place a list with your phone number and email address on the rental’s fridge, calendar, or bulletin board. That way, if your tenants ever forget how to reach you, all they have to do is reference the list. This can be especially helpful in emergencies.
Set Expectations on Response Time
Once you establish a preferred contact method, it is important to set expectations on when your tenants should respond to messages. That being said, as their landlord you should hold yourself to the same expectations. Tenants will not respect a landlord who makes them follow a set response time but responds haphazardly.
For starters, provide a realistic time frame that you and your tenants can use to voice minor inconveniences or inquiries, such as 9 AM to 5 PM. Furthermore, set a response time of one to two days. This gives you and your tenants plenty of time to curate a sufficient reply. Conversely, there should be no time frame for emergencies, and response times should be almost immediate. Emergencies can come up at any time, day or night, and you need to be available whenever they occur. It is your responsibility as a landlord to look out for your tenants and protect them from danger (such as fires or water main leaks), otherwise, you could be held liable for any injuries.
Document All Communication
Whenever you communicate with your tenants, you should keep a log of the entire conversation. This is especially easy with texts and emails since they stay saved unless you take the time to delete them. Nevertheless, even when it comes to calls, try to jot down notes of your conversation.
There are many benefits to documenting all correspondence between you and your tenants. For one, it can protect you from any liability if tenants try to twist your words or falsify incidents. Second, it can act as a reminder for you to complete a task or schedule a repair that your tenant requested.
Moderate Word Choice
Moderating your word choice and avoiding harsh speech is important to bridging effective communication between you and your tenants. If you are rude and hostile toward your tenants, then they will stop coming to you with rental problems, and they will also stop respecting you.
To better recognize bad behaviors in the future, it is best to first acknowledge and understand them:
- Accusatory tone - saying the word “you” (i.e. “What were you thinking?” or “You need to stop this.”).
- Foul language - cussing out your tenants or yelling expletives at them.
- Dismissive response - accusing your tenants of being overdramatic or brushing off their requests for repairs.
These actions are some of the common bad behaviors that will prove unproductive when communicating with your tenants. They will act as nothing but a communication barrier, preventing your tenants from trusting you or feeling comfortable in your Long Beach rental. Respect is not earned by belittling or yelling. Rather, it is earned by being respectful.
Understanding the best practices for effective communication is a complicated but necessary process to be a good and favorable landlord. If you would like further assistance with conversing and relating to your tenants, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can fill out our Owner Application online.
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Your property’s roof is its first line of defense from the sun, rain, and wind. Which means it will eventually wear out. Many landlords overlook this since a roof is generally designed to last twenty or so years, and they simply forget until the signs begin to show. Below, we’ve compiled a short list of five signs it’s time to replace your roof for when doing property inspections. Tenant Complaints When your roof has become damaged, your tenants will likely be the first to notice. When tenants report water stains on the walls and ceilings, it's a sign that you should inspect your roof. In severe cases, your tenant may notice water dripping from roof leaks. This moisture, if left unchecked, can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, which can be a health concern for your tenants. Some tenants simply move out, assuming the odors or recurring respiratory issues are caused by the rental and not just the roof. This leaves you with a vacancy to manage, and if you’re unable to find the leak during this period, the following tenant may have a negative experience as well. Many landlords have found it beneficial to have property inspections regularly in order to preserve both the property’s value and the tenant’s trust. Roof’s Age Even with the highest quality materials, a roof still has a shelf life. Most roofs in Long Beach, CA, use asphalt shingles, and these generally last around twenty to twenty-five years. Once they've passed this threshold, the faults begin to show themselves. A sagging roof line is a sign that your roof is due to be replaced, as it's a serious concern. It often indicates that moisture has entered the underlying decking and caused some structural damage. From ground level, you may not be able to notice these problems. However, during an inspection of the property, an experienced inspector should be able to notice soft spots or contours on the roof. These forms of damage often get worse over time. Coordinating these inspections and preventative maintenance can be difficult for landlords with an extensive portfolio, which is why many enlist help. Shingle Damage Damaged shingles are one of the most obvious signs that your roof is deteriorating. If you ever notice cracking, curling, or patches with missing shingles, the roof is no longer providing adequate protection to your property. Although you can buy time with spot repairs, if the entire roof shows signs of damage, it’s likely time to replace the roof. Aside from protecting your property, the roof affects your property’s curb appeal. A patchy and worn-out roof can drive down the rental appeal. Prospective tenants will easily be able to spot the differences between pictures taken in the listing when compared to the property in person. This can not only hurt your chances of filling a vacancy, but it can also hurt your reputation as a landlord. Granules in Gutters After heavy rainfall, it's a good idea to inspect your rain gutters. If you or your property manager notice large amounts of black or gray granules, it means your roof shingles are breaking down. These granules are critical for shedding water off the roof. Once the granules fall off the shingle, the shingle begins to degrade faster under the sun and elements. If you’re not sure how old your roof may be, Loss of granules can be a strong indicator that your roof is nearing the end of its lifespan. Regular gutter cleaning and roof inspections can help catch these problems early before they become expensive repairs . Increase in Utility Bills Your tenants complaining about their utility bills increasing or poor temperature control in the rental may not realize the roof is to blame. A failing roof can result in subpar insulation and ventilation. This can lead to higher heating and cooling bills for your tenant. This can be frustrating for your tenants while putting more strain on the HVAC system. This puts more wear and tear on your HVAC system. Being aware of the warning signs and being proactive can protect your rental property, maintain tenant satisfaction , and avoid emergency repairs. If you need help inspecting your roof or you need help managing your Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
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