Effective tenant communication is, for sure, the cornerstone of owning successful rental properties in Jamaica Plain. But the truth is, for most investors, effective communication is a skill that takes time and effort to develop. The good news is that you can learn this capability and that many experts in the industry may be able to help provide you with guidance. Communicating with a tenant could be a unique challenge, and for this reason, it is important to understand the specific elements that can actually help improve your process.
Communicating effectively with your tenants starts with the very first interaction – often a screening phone call. As soon as prospective tenants call about a property, it is vital to describe your screening criteria in a clear but friendly way. This could really be helpful to you not merely to get a sense of who your potential tenant might be but also to start to establish expectations concerning the landlord-tenant relationship.
As soon as a tenant has passed the screening process, another key aspect of effective communication is reviewing the lease documents. Your lease documents are more than just a legal contract. They also clearly outline the responsibilities for both you and your tenants, integrating things such as landscaping maintenance, parking, and pets, to specify a few. Your lease should also detail how you will handle future communication. It’s an excellent idea to start early and encourage your tenant to communicate with you regularly. This is something that’s currently made so much easier with software, apps, and online tenant portals. By means of ensuring that your tenant clearly understands the lease documents and giving them a chance to ask questions, you significantly encourage them to take their responsibilities far more seriously.
Effective tenant communication doesn’t end when your tenant moves in, however. To always keep the lines of communication open, you must establish a set of guidelines for how and when regular communication will take place. As an example, your lease has to offer specific information related to how much notice you will provide tenants with before entering the property or performing routine maintenance. At times, this timeframe is specified in state or local landlord laws, although you can indeed increase the timetable as a show of goodwill. Countless experts suggest providing one week’s advance notice before routine maintenance can be put into effect and delivering that notice in more than one format (a phone call and an email, as for instance).
In the case of an emergency, effective communication takes on a new urgency. As a property owner, it is principal to ensure that your tenants can contact you in the event of a serious problem with the property. It is, moreover, essential that your response is both prompt and proactive. You should be able to address emergency repair requests as soon as possible, but no later than a few hours when the tenant contacts you. It is likewise significant to communicate more often with a tenant in an emergency, sending updates of when and how repairs will be made and any actions the tenant should take. By safeguarding that the lines of communication are open, you can make your tenants trust you and share better information in connection with the condition of the property throughout their tenancy.
Finally, don’t forget to practice the golden rule in your relationships with your tenants. Treating them with the same respect and courtesy that you expect from others can go a long way toward building good tenant relations and cultivating a culture of effective communication. Naturally, hiring a trustworthy Jamaica Plain property manager is also a great way to ensure clear and effective communication with all your tenants. Contact us online or at 617-522-0099 today to learn more.
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