How to Gain a Better Relationship with Your California City Tenants

Tenants cannot be held accountable for the things they don’t know about or understand. Start your relationship on the right foot before they even move in. During the lease-signing process, walk through the terms of your lease agreement so you can be sure they understand their responsibilities and your expectations. Ask if they have any questions, and be willing to listen to their concerns. You don’t know what kind of landlord experiences they’ve had in the past; they might be apprehensive and untrusting. Talk through what you expect in terms of rent payments, maintenance, and communication. 

As you’re establishing good communication practices with your tenants, make sure you’re easy to reach. Your tenants will need to know how to get in touch if there’s an emergency or if they’re expecting a financial problem that may result in late rent one month. Be available to them through a number of channels. They should feel comfortable calling or texting. If you’d prefer email, give them your email address. Make sure you’re responsive when they contact you. If you cannot answer their question or solve their problem right away, let them know that you’ve heard them, and you’ll do everything you can to help them in the next few days. Let your tenants know you’re available. 

The main reason that tenants move out of their rental properties is that their landlords are not responsive when it comes to maintenance. You need to take care of repairs immediately, no matter how small they may seem to you. Show the tenants that you care about their comfort and safety. You also want them to know you care about the condition of your home. Respond to emergencies right away, and respond to routine maintenance as soon as you can. Keep your tenants updated as you’re coordinating with vendors, and make sure you let them know in advance when someone will be coming to the home to make a repair. Follow up after the work is done to make sure your tenants are happy. 

If you can establish and maintain a good relationship with your tenants, you’re likely to keep them for longer. Tenant retention is an important part of your ROI. You don’t want to lose money on turnover costs and vacancies, so do everything you can to keep good tenants in place. Let them know you appreciate their on-time rental payments. Send little gifts on birthdays or at lease renewal time. A personal attention to detail will make tenants feel like they’re experiencing great customer care, and they’ll not only stay in your property – they’ll tell others what a great landlord you are. 

We love the tenants we work with, and we work hard to show them how much they’re valued. If you’d like some professional help developing a better tenant relationship, contact us at JBL & Associates.