A constant, clear, frequent, and specific communication is the best practice in working with tenants. There is no such thing as too much communication or information. So whether by email, phone, or carrier pigeon, it is best to by any means necessary to stay in contact with your tenants and this makes everything else with managing your rental unit easier. Here are 7 communication tips from the leader in Coeur d’Alene Property Management.
Take the feels out of it–
Whether you have great residents or more challenging tenants, you need to see the owner-tenant relationship as a business venture. Treat the residents professionally, and don’t get attached or too personal. Communication should be honest and clear.
Do more. Lots more–
From property management in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Kellogg, your tenants deserve to hear from you often. Email, call, mail—it doesn’t matter, just make sure you’re staying in communication. With regular inspections and maintenance needs, your tenants need to always know what is going on around their home, this should leave the tenant feeling respected for and also the needs of the property management company being met
Work Locally–
If you hire a property management team, make sure they have Coeur d’Alene property management experience. Each market location is different. Find someone who is experienced to communicate on the many things that makes the cities that we manage unique. Example some garbage dispoal services are managed by the city, others have to be worked through with the tenant and property owner, or the different season maintenance items required by law like sprinkler blow out, etc.
Be clear about expectations–
Nothing sours a relationship faster than unmet expectations. Be clear with your expectations, and forego the problems of hurt feelings, feeling entitlement, or legal complications that could be solved with constant and good communication. You and your tenants will have a much better experience. Clear communication of expectations can start at the time of the lease signing.
Don’t hover–
Allow your tenants to figure out how they want to live in the house, they need to space and availability to make their house a home. Unexpected check up, or too frequent surveying puts on an undue stress on your tenants, but if clear expectation and time for the tenant to plan, then you prepare yourself for a streamlined and good experience. You can focus on making the experience as streamlined and easy as possible. Just keep yourself available should they have questions.
Hard Copies–
The idea of “nail and mail” has been around for a long time for good reason—it works; especially with legal issues or financial matters. It’s best to give your tenants hard copies of official paperwork and documents. Word of mouth and cyberspace aren’t always the best documentation options for official communications. Having something to reference secures both parties and is the best policy.
Certify your mail–
Many property management Coeur d’Alene firms certify every piece of mail that goes out to the client. That way, they can ensure the communication was received or refused. Either way, a record is kept, and you can prove what has or hasn’t been done.
Tenant communication when managing your own property can be an overwhelming experience, because the amount of time, planning, and constant communication needed. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. If you find a good Coeur d’Alene property management partner, many of these issues can be easily taken care of for you.