How to Keep Tenants Happy: A Cheat Sheet for Property Management Companies

When your tenants are content and treating your property well, life is much easier as a property manager. But how do you ensure they have a positive rental experience with your company? By investing time and energy in your properties and your tenants, you can improve the landlord-tenant relationship and keep tenants happy.

Be Clear About Your Expectations

While not everyone will agree with all of your rules, people generally appreciate when clear expectations are set. During the tenant screening process, be clear about the rules at your property. For example, develop rules about noise levels, determine who is responsible for what types of maintenance, and provide clarity around rental payments and late fees. By setting rules ahead of time, you can prevent issues in the future and address them more easily if they occur.

Use Tenant Management Software to Simplify Communication

Maintaining positive relationships involves consistent communication with your tenants about what is expected. Create strong and open lines of communication by using a tenant portal. This allows you to keep documents for your tenant, helps your tenant see his or her payment history, and provides an easy way for a tenant to ask questions.

Organize Scheduled Maintenance

A well-organized company not only inspires confidence, it also reassures tenants that you're working to maintain the property where they live. According to the Bigger Pockets blog, "the quality of the property is largely a reflection of the kinds of tenants you'll attract." Simple measures like cutting the grass on a regular schedule or responding quickly to a repair request show tenants that you care. Keep a list of contractors you've worked with over time and have it available to reference when issues arise. Small, preventative maintenance over time will also help prevent larger problems and make your tenants feel more secure.

Want to Keep Tenants Happy? Provide Incentives and Discounts

When your tenants feel appreciated, they're more likely to be happy and continue to live at your property. This can take the form of tokens of appreciation, such as a small gift or thank you card on their rental anniversary. You can also provide recognition for excellent behavior. For example, a tenant who pays the rent on time every month for a year might receive a discount on his or her rental. While this is an upfront cost for your business, it can help you avoid the even more significant cost of losing a tenant and finding a new one.

When you're looking for tenant management software to keep your business connected to your tenants, choose Propertyware. Our full-service software will not only support your business development, it will help you maintain happy tenant relationships over time. Take a free online tour of Propertyware today.