Stay Profitable And Respectful - Tips For Communicating With Tenants

Posted on: 25 November 2014

Deciding to go into the property management business can be extremely rewarding, but it is certainly not without its challenges. Outside of the costs and difficulties associated with maintaining various properties, building strong and positive relationships with your tenants can be the most difficult challenge that a property manager is likely to face.

Below, you'll find a guide to some tips that should help you communicate more effectively with your tenants. By removing the threat of miscommunication, you will be able to increase the trust your tenants have in you. This is the first step toward building a more productive and fruitful relationship, as well as removing a great deal of the day to day stress of property management.

Emphasize Collaboration

Many tenants may become resistant or resentful because they feel that requests from management are being expressed in offensive or condescending ways. Obviously, when you acquire tenants, they will be grown adults who deserve respect and honesty, and constant mandates may make it seem like their input doesn't have value.

When discussing possible upgrades to your properties or new rules you may need your tenants to follow, you should start the conversation by moving in the direction of collaboration. Taking the tenant's feedback into account will make the process feel more trustworthy and respectful, and will be more likely to achieve the ends you desire.

Respond To Different Personalities

It's natural to have a desire to conduct every business conversation the same way and to try to standardize the way you handle tenant requests. The reality, however, is that the different personalities among your tenants will cause them to communicate in different ways, and unless you're responsive to that, you're likely to run into trouble.

Some tenants may want problems dealt with as directly and efficiently as possible. Others may need gentle cajoling and longer, more drawn out conversations. Staying in constant communication will help you get to know your tenants better, and as such, make your conversations with them far more productive.

Be Clear With Your Goals

If you're going to ask things of your tenants or make changes to standard operating procedures, there will be natural push-back. If you haven't fully explained your goals or clearly spelled out the direction you want the changes to go in, the power of inertia will take over and your tenants will resist change much more strongly. You have nothing to lose from full openness and honesty, and most of the time, your tenant will greatly appreciate the likely increase in their quality of life.

A company like Condominium Management can give you more advice about how to handle your relationship with your tenants.

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