There’s no need to become instant best friends with your tenants when you’re renting out a Santa Rosa property. In fact, that’s a bad idea. You need to maintain professional boundaries in order to enforce your lease and protect your property.
However, you do want to build and maintain a good working relationship with your residents. When you’re able to treat each other with respect and kindness, you’ll find that everyone has a better rental experience. You’re more likely to retain those tenants as well, cutting down on unpleasant vacancy and turnover costs.
Here are a few ways to build great relationships with your Santa Rosa tenants.
Make the Move-In Process Easy
Moving comes with complications, even for those tenants who are well-organized and prepared. Make the move-in process as stress-free as possible. You’ll want to have the keys available when your tenants expect them. Ensure the home is sparkling clean and everything is functional.
Before allowing tenants to move in, make sure you’ve discussed the lease in detail so they understand your expectations and their responsibilities. Be available in case there are any hiccups while they’re moving in and getting settled. Tenants may have questions about school districts, utilities, and where to find basic essentials such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Try to be a resource for them.
Consider leaving a small welcoming gift, such as a candle or even a gift card to a local coffee shop. This will help you establish goodwill with your tenants on move-in day and get your relationship off to a great start.
Invest in Technology for Convenience
Tenants will appreciate living in a modern home and having access to updated facilities and services. Online rental payments, for example, are the preferred method of payment for most tenants today. Talk to them about how to pay rent and when it’s due and ways they can pay.
When you allow your tenants to make their rental property feel like a home with the use of technology, it’s going to work well for your relationship. Maybe they want to install a video doorbell to feel safer. Let them. If they want to activate a security system, help them get it installed.
Keep the Property Well-Maintained
Tenants will appreciate your attentiveness to their maintenance requests and concerns. Your relationship depends on responding quickly to any of the issues that are reported. Don’t wait to fix even the small things. What seems like no big deal to you is probably a very big deal to them. When you show them that you care about their comfort and about the condition of your property, it’s going to strengthen your relationship. They’ll trust you to do what you say you’re going to do.
Communicate Honestly and Openly
Communication is the foundation of any good relationship. You won’t get along well with your residents if you can’t communicate with them. You’ll also have relationship problems if you’re not available and accessible to them when they have a question or a problem.
Make sure you’re transparent and accommodating when they need to talk. Don’t try to hide unpleasant things from them. If the water needs to be shut off for a repair, be direct and apologetic. When it’s time to renew the lease agreement and you’re increasing rent, explain why and show them market data.
These are some of the ways to build a great relationship with your tenants. If you’d like some help managing your tenants, a Santa Rosa property management company can always help. We’d be happy to tell you about our own tenant relationships. Contact us at Redwood Residential Property Management.
Marla Shaw