6 Tips for Happier Tenants

As a landlord, you can enjoy a myriad of potential benefits by keeping your tenant happy and satisfied. For example, you may be able to reduce turnover and this will help you save on certain things like advertising costs and tenant screening.

Also, keeping a renter happy can help reduce the frequency of maintenance calls that you receive. Happy tenants are more likely to take good care of their rented property, saving you money on repairs and maintenance. And we could go on and on!

It’s important to know that keeping a renter happy is critical to your success as a landlord. In today’s blog, we’ll walk you through tried and tested tips on how to keep renters happy.

Tip #1: Respond to Maintenance Requests Urgently

As a landlord, you shouldn’t ignore your tenant’s maintenance repair requests. If you ignore it or take too much time to have an issue sorted, your tenant might consider moving out of the property.

As such, it’s important to be proactive when it comes to your repair and maintenance responsibilities. You should always try to address issues promptly and as professionally as possible. Additionally, you’ll also want to inspect the unit from time to time to stay on top of issues.

Tip #2: Be Friendly and Cooperative

As a landlord, you can’t forget the human factor when it comes to your day-to-day interactions with the tenants. They will be more likely to renew their lease with you for another term if you come across as a cooperative person.

So, how exactly can you become a friendly and cooperative landlord? Well, be responsive to their needs, and stay committed to making their rental experience a positive one. To develop a relationship with them, it’s important to stay in communication with the tenant. Be flexible, understanding, and respectful, even if you have a disagreement with them.

Tip #3: Provide the Tenant with Appropriate Amenities

Providing amenities that match your target audience will most likely make a tenant happy and comfortable. As such, it will also increase their chances of renewing their lease with you. You can consider installing amenities such as high-speed internet, energy-efficient appliances, laundry facilities, storage areas, parking, etc.

Tip #4: Encourage Your Tenant to Renew Their Lease for Another Term

If the lease is about to end, let the tenant know you want to renew it for another period. Don’t assume that the tenant will renew it, only to lose them in the end.

Ideally, you want to reach out to them at least 60 days before the lease expires. You can ask them if they would be willing to renew it for another term for example. If they accept your request, it’s great, but if they don’t, you will have ample time to find another tenant.

With that in mind, if you have a really great tenant that you may not want to lose, then you may want to incentivize their stay. The following are examples of incentives you may consider.

·  Upgrade their unit. Consider renovating the unit for a more updated look.

·  Offer the tenant a free amenity or service. For instance, you can consider giving the tenant free parking, gym membership, or laundry.

·  Allow them to paint the unit with their favorite colors.

·  Allow them to keep a pet if you previously didn’t.

Tip #5: Treat the Tenant Fairly

A tenant who feels targeted by their landlord will not feel comfortable. That’s why it’s important for landlords to familiarize themselves with local and federal fair housing laws.

Fair housing laws are laws that are aimed at ending discrimination in rental housing. Seven protections exist at the federal level. You can’t discriminate against a renter on the basis of race, color, sex, nationality, religion, familial status, or disability.

California also extends additional protections to tenants on the basis of marital status, immigration status, mental disability, ancestry, sexual orientation, and primary language.

To put these into more context, it’d be illegal for you to do the following.

·  Try to terminate your tenant’s lease solely because of their race, color, or other protections.

·  Refuse a service animal because you have a ‘strict “no pets” policy’ as per as the Fair Housing Act.

·  Make sexual advances toward your tenant.

·  Falsely claim that your unit is unavailable when it actually is.

·  Maintaining overtly strict rules for families with children. For instance, saying where children can and cannot play.

·  Including certain statements in your rental ad. Such as, “Ideal for a Married Couple Only,” “Ideal for a Young Family,” “No Pets Allowed,” or “Christians Preferred.”

Tip #6: Be Fair When Enforcing Rules

As a savvy landlord, you’ll certainly require your tenants to abide by certain rules, including smoking rules, maintenance rules, and pet rules and regulations if you want to rent to people who own pets. Ensure that you have these rules in the lease agreement so that the tenant knows what exactly they are expected to do. Also, you can go a step further and indicate the consequences of failing to follow those rules.

Now, when enforcing a rule, you want to be consistent, fair, and respectful. Remember that they are your customers and it’s in your best interest to maintain a good relationship with them.

Conclusion

As a landlord, keeping a renter happy is key to running a successful rental investment. When your tenant is happy, you are happy as well since they will pay rent on time, take care of your property, and, most importantly, renew their lease with you. You may also want to look for an expert’s help in managing your CA rental property. If you looking to hire one, First & Main Property Management can help. We’re a trusted property management company in Napa, CA. Get in touch to learn more!