Establishing and developing a respectful, trustworthy landlord-tenant relationship is essential when you’re renting out a St. Louis property. That relationship depends on clear, responsive, and proactive communication.
It shouldn’t be unpleasant or difficult to communicate with your tenants. Here are some of the tried and true tips we use as professional St. Louis property managers.
Discuss Expectations during the Lease Signing
Good communication begins before your tenants move in. It’s your responsibility as the owner to establish and define the expectations and responsibilities of the lease agreement. Use this opportunity to demonstrate that you’re open to questions and willing to listen to any concerns your tenants might have.
The goal is to ensure your tenants understand their rights and responsibilities and also that they feel comfortable talking with you openly about what will have to happen for everyone to enjoy a pleasant rental experience.
This creates a sense of security for tenants. It can give you some peace of mind too, as the owner, because you’ll have no reason to believe your tenants won’t follow the terms of the lease agreement.
Further your communication efforts with supporting documentation. You can provide a bulleted list of what you discussed after your conversation. You can leave them with a written or digital handbook, or you can share some videos that explain anything you talked about. This will give them an easy point of reference if they have questions later on.
Remember to keep all your policy documentation in a written form and provide your tenants with a copy of the lease agreement or access to it online.
Provide Diverse Channels for Communicating
Invest in technology, but keep communication personal.
After a year of contactless business functions, face-to-face communication will likely be slow in returning. Tenants and owners alike have embraced the idea that just about everything can be done virtually, from showings to rental payments to maintenance requests. It’s a good idea to keep that trend moving; give tenants the opportunity to communicate with you via text, email, and even on social media channels.
Every renter is going to be different. Some of your tenants might still prefer phone calls. There are a lot of options, and you should be prepared to engage with all of them.
Good Communication Creates Better Tenant Retention
Tenants expect and need communication that’s clear, accurate, and responsive. If you ignore calls and messages from your tenants, you’re going to lose them. It’s important that you’re responsive to their needs, whether it’s a maintenance request or a simple question about how to deal with the utility companies.
Be a resources to your tenants.
When you keep in touch with them, you’re letting them know that you care about their rental experience. They shouldn’t only hear from you when rent is late or when you’re trying to schedule an inspection. Here are some easy tips that will help with tenant communication and retention:
- Thank them every time they pay on time.
- Communicate your appreciation that they’re taking good care of the property.
- Check in once in a while to see if there’s anything they need.
These things will help you keep your tenants in the long term, which is good for your ROI. When tenants renew their lease agreements, you have fewer vacancy, maintenance, and turnover costs.
We’d be happy to provide further ideas on how you can improve your tenant communication strategies. To talk more about this or anything pertaining to St. Louis property management, please contact us at Amoso Properties.
