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How To Keep Tenants Happy: Tips To Make The Good Ones Stay

How To Keep Tenants Happy: Tips To Make The Good Ones Stay

The real estate industry is on the rise, with many people offering home solutions, and property development, including mobile homes for sale. Many landlords have several offers on the menu for any tenant. It isn't easy to find tenants who pay their rent on time, contact you when an issue arises, and respect the neighborhood and the property. Once you find tenants who take care of your property as if it is their own and pays their rent on time, you don't want to let them go and must always keep them happy. However, you might be asking, what is the secret to keeping your tenants happy in your property? These tips will help you understand what you must do to make your tenants happy and want to stay in your property.

As per the 'National Center for Housing Property management,' 54% of apartments are occupied by new tenants every year. For most landlords, this period meets them with several expenses on a property, including possible repairs and cleaning costs. The longer the rental property remains vacant, the more landlords will have lost rent, utilities, and more money spent on advertising fees. 

Eliminating or reducing your turnover expenses by retaining good tenants can turn you into a more profitable landlord. This comes with several advantages, including but not limited to:

  • Preventing uncertainty of having new tenants
  • Providing consistent income from your property
  • Spending less on the unit for property showings, advertising, and cleaning

Even before you think about keeping good tenants, you should begin by leasing your property to a good person. You can check online for a renter's background check to understand their eviction history, criminal background, and specific tenant credit report. A good tenant is one with a good history.

How to Keep Tenants Happy

It isn’t easy to keep a tenant happy. It is worth looking for different tips to keep your tenants happy, take care of them and increase your property's appeal to them. In most cases, none of the motivation you offer could cost you money. 

Let's look at the seven tips to keeping your tenants happy:

Address Maintenance Issues Quickly

Maintenance is something that every tenant checks on the menu if it’s served.Landlords should understand that keeping their tenants happy is key to extending their property lease. By performing property inspection and property management proactively, your tenants are likely to accept your lease proposal and remain happy. 

Most tenants are normally frustrated easily by unaddressed maintenance requests. You must show them that you're more than willing to offer them a nice and safe living environment. Your menu must offer incentives like deep cleaning and carpet cleaning by professional cleaning services. This way, you might make your tenants feel appreciated cost-effectively. 

Good property management practices involve addressing maintenance-related issues quickly, thus spending less in the long term. You should always carry out routine property management and maintenance to keep small issues from turning out into larger maintenance issues. If you follow these tips and keep your tenants happy and  take care of them properly, they will pay rent in time and stay longer on your property. Having rent on time will also improve your rate of maintenance. A tenant who pays rent expects exceptional maintenance. 

Be A Good Landlord

Being a good landlord can keep your tenants happy. Sadly, many people underestimate the importance of human factors. Being friendly and cooperative is key in keeping your tenants happy on your property. A tenant can easily approach you to share problems. Tenants are likely to pay their monthly rent on time if they find you normally interact with them positively. Listen to your tenants if they have an excuse for not paying rent.

The first step to being a good landlord is to make it easier for your tenants to reach you or contact you if they have an issue. Here, you need to establish a good tenant-landlord relationship and maintain open communication that eliminates any misunderstandings. It would help if you were respectful and courteous to them.

For instance, good property management principles dictate that you carry out repairs when your tenants aren't around so that you don't disturb their peace. It would help if you understood that the more your rental feels like home, the more they are likely to stay on the property. It would be best if you also were cooperative when it comes to issues of mutual interest. 

Know the Types of Amenities that Tenants Prefer

Efficient property management involves understanding the critical aspects that tenants look for in a rental property. For instance, most tenants are happy with  beautiful outdoor spaces, open floor plans, and high-speed internet access. To understand some of the tips that keep tenants, you can check out what your competitors are offering. 

With most millennials and Gen-Z, the quality of lifestyle is an important aspect that determines whether they go or stay. You may be the landlord owning the rental property, but your tenants must call it a home to stay. A tenant who feels comfortable with your services is likely to stay for many years. 

If you offer certain social amenities, you are sure of keeping your tenants happy. You should first identify what your tenants are likely to find interesting. For instance, if you establish a house near a university, quiet study rooms should be on the menu for your tenants. For working-class tenants, you should have good air conditioning, hardwood flooring, and stainless steel appliances on the menu. Never forget to add additional amenities such as entertainment for kids and playing ground on the menu. There is just that one tenant that is interested in such. 

Remain Proactive with Renewal of Lease

It would help if you always let your tenants know in advance that you would like to renew a lease with them. At times, a tenant might forget about their lease expiry. Remind such a tenant when the time is right. 

  • Reach out to your tenants at least 90 days before the expiry of the lease to find out whether they wish to renew or not.
  • If the tenants decide to leave, start advertising the vacancy on your property even before they leave. 

You can decide to spare tenants from a rent increase in case they renew their property lease. If your tenants hesitate on leaving, try finding out if there is something that you could do for them to stay. The more you communicate with your tenants, the more they are likely to open up about their challenges. You can always end up negotiating a deal that leaves both you and your tenants happy. Always let a tenant know that you’re always open to negotiations. 

Encourage Tenants to Take Longer Leases

Most landlords have succeeded when it comes to offering tenants long property leases that make them happy. You must keep tenants informed that you are offering long term property leases for a reduced rate. If tenants renew a lease after six months, extend the property lease to at least one year. If they renew it yearly, then extend it to at least two years. Although this might reduce your profit from a rent increase, it helps to keep rent-paying and reliable tenants in the long term. 

However, before you opt for this option, find out the differences in your rental property revenue to determine whether this option is financially suitable or not. Even as you struggle to make your tenant happy, your income property should raise enough capital. If a tenant takes a longer lease, it will guarantee you security of income. A tenant who takes short leases is likely to leave anytime. 

Treat All Tenants Fairly

Tenants don't like feeling like landlords are targeting them for whatever reason. Effective rental property management involves familiarizing yourself with federal and local housing laws. Most of the time, you might be engaging a tenant who understands the lawNo matter the sexual orientation, race, physical ability, or religion of your tenant, you must be consistent in how you take care and treat them. 

Treating tenants fairly also means addressing their concerns on time and not overcharging for rent. You might settle on the amount as rent, but if you overcharge a specific group of tenants, you might end up being sued for discrimination litigation. A tenant will only stay if you afford them respect. Enforce Rules Without Crossing Boundaries

There is no better way to keep your tenants happy than keeping the rules on your property simple and fair. Whether rules on the menu relate to waterbeds, clogged toilets, pet security deposits, or safety, you need to put all of them in writing. It also helps to keep tenants informed of the consequences of failing to abide by those rules. This plays a role in your tenants' understanding of their expectations and responsibilities. 

As a good landlord, if you find a long term tenant breaking any policies or rules that you have in place, consider talking to them before you take the relevant actions. Even if you get complaints from your neighbors, it is important to listen to the side of the story from your tenant. Fair rules must follow the following tips:

  • Must relate to the reason why it's created
  • Must always promote the welfare and safety of tenants
  • Must be written clearly for every tenant to understand
  • Must be made in a way that prevents the landlord's legal obligations
  • Must apply to tenants in a fair manner

Some landlords make mistakes in treating a tenant different from the other. For instance, one tenant might request a repair and it will be delayed while another tenant will be served quickly. Treating a tenant better than others will bring about conflict.

Conclusion

 

With these tips on the menu, you are better suited to understand ways of keeping your tenants happy on your property. You are also likely to get long term tenants that respect your rules and rental property. However, even before you keep good tenants, you must select great renters. You can make reliable and informed leasing decisions by running tenant screening using SmartMove. The most important thing you can do as a landlord is always to take care of your tenants and do everything within your powers to keep them happy if you want them to stay. We hope you embrace keeping your tenants happy to increase your rental property revenue. Follow the tips above strictly to keep the right tenants in your rental property that pays rent on time.

 

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