If you’re renting out your property, you’ve probably read several articles on how to manage a troublesome tenant. You might even have come across some accounts that provide free bailiff advice on how to evict troublesome tenants.
But now that the UK has made it harder for property owners to evict tenants, your aim should be to build a good relationship with your tenants. If you want to know how to maintain healthy relationships with your tenants, here are some tips for you:
Weed out the bad ones
Before you even start building a good relationship with your tenant, you need to make sure you have the right tenant for your property. So, you’re going to need some investigation here. You need to know the background of every person asking to move into one of your rooms.
It’s not enough that you conduct an interview with your potential tenants. You should also do some background checks because you’ll never know if they’re telling the truth during the interview. Check their credit history to see if it’s good or bad. If their credit history isn’t good, then chances are they might not be able to pay the rent on time. Check their criminal history as well. You could be opening your doors to a person with anger management issues or sticky fingers.
But after you’ve eliminated the bad candidates, it’s time to choose the worthy tenants. One of the most important tips is to be transparent with your tenant.
Transparency is the key
Tenants don’t like surprises, so be as upfront as you can before any of you signs a contract. When you show them the apartment, tell them everything they need to know, even if some of them are negative. Being transparent will lead your tenants to trust you more.
Befriend them
It’s also helpful to befriend your tenants. If they’re new to the place, suggest the best restaurants, theaters, and pubs in the neighborhood. You could even show them the quickest route to their workplace or university. And if you bump into them every now and then, ask them how they are. One way to ensure that you’ll have a budding friendship with your tenants is to invite them to a party you’ll throw for all your tenants. This way, they’ll get to know you more and vice versa. They’ll also get to know the other people in your building.
Be firm when needed
You should balance your relationship with your tenants so that they’ll see you as someone they can consider a friend, but at the same time, they won’t forget that you’re still their landlord.
When they see that they’re becoming close with their landlords, some tenants might use that to their advantage. They’ll try to weasel their way out of paying rent on time just because they already shared a pint with you. Don’t let it come to this. Befriend your tenants, but also set boundaries. One way to do this is to give them a gentle reminder about the deadline for the rent.
Open communication is a must
Open and timely communication is a must if you want to build a good relationship with your tenants. Let them know how to contact you at all times by giving them your email, landline number, and cellphone number. Reply right away if your tenants have a question or concern. If they see that you respond right away to any of their concerns, they’ll be more likely to trust you and even return the favor by paying their rent on time.
Respect is an essential ingredient in a good relationship between you and your tenants. If you show them respect by being transparent, communicating with them regularly, and befriending them, it’s likely that they will return the favor.
