collaborative post
If you are in a position to let out a property, and you want to make sure that you make the most of it, there are many things you are going to need to consider along the way. One of the most vital considerations here is to ensure that you are managing the property in such a manner that your tenants are going to be happy with the place, and with your management of it. There are a lot of facets to this, and we are going to take a look at some of the most important of them in this post.
Find The Right Tenants
First things first, it is always going to be hugely helpful if you can make a point of finding the right tenants before you do anything else. What do we mean by the right tenants? Simply, those people who are likely to enjoy the home for what it is. If you can find people of this kind, you essentially have a kind of head start when it comes to keeping them happy. You can be sure of finding those people simply by making a point of advertising the property in the right kind of way. In other words, you need to have a specific target demographic in mind first and foremost.
If you are able to do that, you should find that you can keep them happier so much easier - but all of the following ideas are going to be important as a part of this, too.
Handle Complaints Swiftly
From time to time, your tenants are going to have complaints about the property. This is likely to happen regardless of the scenario, of whether or not you are doing your job, although you will of course receive many more complaints if you are not doing things in the right way in other respects. But the way in which you handle complaints is likely to make an enormous difference too, especially in terms of how quickly you respond, and in what manner.
The more swift you are with your response to complaints, the more your tenants will believe that you really do care about them and their situation. You should aim to send a quick reply saying you will look into the matter - and then make sure you do that swiftly too, getting them whatever help they might need. You can also make this all so much easier by simply using a realtor or estate agent to do that kind of work for you.
Provide Security & Privacy
As anyone else does, your tenants too deserve to have a good deal of privacy and security. If they do not have this, then you are going to be in a very troublesome position indeed, which could be something along the lines of actually leaving the property and leaving you without any tenants at all. There are some basic ways in which you can ensure you are doing your part to keep your tenants safe and secure, and to uphold their need for privacy.
One of the most important is to leave them to it, and not to come knocking at random times without warning. As well as being illegal, this is also rude, and could amount to your tenants feeling a little claustrophobic, or as though they do not have their own space. You should always remember that the property is theirs while they are renting it out, not yours, and you can’t just bombard them with your presence.
It’s also worth considering installing a number of security features and functions in the property - for the sake of your tenants’ wellbeing, and also so you can keep your property safe too. For instance, you might want to install deadbolts and other security features on windows and doors, or possibly even install CCTV and burglar alarms. Anything you can do to help your tenants feel safe is bound to help you out in keeping them happy.
Keep The Contract
You should always draw up a contract with your tenants at the start of each tenancy, and you should aim to revisit it once a year and ensure that everything is still as it should be. On top of that, you should of course ensure that you are keeping your end of the contract at all times too, which is essential if you are trying to expect the same from your tenants. The contract should cover all reasonable situations that might crop up, especially any of those which are going to be particularly common or thorny in how they play out.
Remember that breaching the contract could open up the way for your tenants to breach it too, so you don’t want to go down that route. You should abide by the contract at all times if you want to keep things simple and ensure that your tenants are doing the same.
Regular Maintenance Checks
It is best to be a proactive landlord, and not simply wait for something to go wrong and to get the phone call or email from your tenant saying this has happened. It is better for everyone if you carry out regular maintenance checks instead, whether you do them yourself or you get someone else in to do them. In either case, you are going to find this helps to keep the place in check, and will reduce the amount of problems that your tenants run into.
Show Respect and Be Human
Finally, remember that tenants are always going to appreciate it if you can show a lot of respect and remember your human side - as well as their human side. This is not something that is always going to come easy, but as long as you are happy to consider it from time to time, you should find that it is actually a relatively easy thing to do. And it will be a huge step towards keeping your tenants happy and satisfied within your property, which is the most important thing we are aiming for here.
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