Our property management services in Roseville include managing tenant relationships. We work well with our tenants because we know that placing and retaining well-qualified tenants will lead to a pleasant and profitable rental experience for our owners.
It’s also about compassion and empathy. The entire rental experience is improved when residents feel supported, heard, and respected.
Disputes will happen. Conflicts will happen. When you’re renting out a property, you’ll find that you may run into problems and have disagreements with your tenants. You’ll need to know how to manage and resolve those issues. The main goal is to prevent normal disputes from escalating into full-blown fights. There may be disputes between tenants as well, and you could find yourself called upon to mediate them.
We are going to talk about how to manage tenant disputes. Not every tenant complaint can be solved, but when you are engaging and empathetic, you can often come to a reasonable resolution.
More important than managing those disputes, of course, is avoiding them.
Here’s how we do it, and what we recommend for you.
Start with a Strong Lease Agreement
Your lease should set forth expectations for your tenants and how they work with you. You will want to have a clear understanding of what they’re responsible for and what you, as the landlord, are responsible for. A good lease will also outline a process for dealing with tenants who act disrespectfully towards one another.
Our experience as Roseville property managers has shown us that many of the disputes that occur between landlords and tenants or tenants and neighbors can be prevented with a careful reading of the lease agreement.
The lease is where everything starts. It should be the first stop if a problem begins to brew.
For example, if you and your tenant find yourselves in a dispute over late fees, you can point your tenants to the rent collection policy that is surely included in your lease. If there’s a dispute between two of your multi-family tenants about noise late at night, you can refer them to the quiet hours section of the lease agreement.
To make potential disputes easier to manage, your lease must address:
- Pets
- Parking
- Guests
- Smoking
- Noise/quiet hours
The lease agreement is your road map, and it will often help you solve conflicts and disputes before they get too serious. When your lease is clear, consistently enforced, and understood by all parties, you can avoid disputes and disagreements with and between tenants.
Careful Tenant Screening Reduces Tenant Disputes
Try to avoid placing tenants who are likely to cause conflict. Some people simply love drama. Some people aren’t happy unless they’re complaining. If you can weed out those tenants who are more prone to conflict, you can count on an easier rental experience and less frustration when it comes to fighting over things of little consequence.
Your screening process needs to follow all fair housing laws and it has to be consistent. You will check credit and look for past evictions. You’ll make sure tenants earn enough income to pay the rent. You’ll run a criminal background check and confirm that all the provided information matches the data you collect.
Talk to current and former landlords, too. This is a big part of the screening process, and it’s often neglected by landlords. Those landlord references are important. They’ll tell you whether tenants were easy to work with. They’ll let you know if there was property damage, unpaid rent, or lease violations. You can ask if they’d ever rent to that tenant again.
Solving Tenant Disputes: Roseville Tenants Need to be Heard
The resident you have placed in your property has a right to the quiet enjoyment of their home. If a neighbor is interfering with that, there will almost certainly be a complaint, and as the landlord, you’ll be expected to resolve it or at least acknowledge it.
Another scenario: your Quickbooks platform continually sends late-rent notices to a tenant who actually pays on time reliably. They aren’t thrilled with the stress these messages cause.
Prepare to listen. If you’re in the wrong, prepare to apologize.
It’s your responsibility to let them make their complaint. You may not be able to solve it. But, by listening empathetically and with compassion, you’re validating their concerns and demonstrating that you care about their comfort. This is good for your relationship and for your tenant retention.
Whether the tenant is experiencing a problem with you or with a neighbor, always show up ready to listen. You’ll earn your tenant’s trust. If you’ve made a mistake, be willing to rectify it immediately.
Encourage Open Communication with Roseville Tenants
Communication is critical in any rental relationship, and good communication is especially helpful in managing and solving disputes. When two tenants are at war with each other, encourage them to talk to one another before they bring the situation to you.
When you have a tenant who is complaining about something you have done or haven’t done, or even if they’re complaining about another resident or a neighbor, you want to document the complaint. This will make your residents feel like they’re getting the support they need from their landlord.
If it’s a dispute with a neighbor who is not your tenant, there’s not much that can be done. But, hearing what your tenant has to say and keeping a record of their issue can show them that you’re invested. It will also help you if the situation becomes a legal issue or a threat and law enforcement has to be involved.
You might find yourself with a tenant who disputes your security deposit deductions. There may be a dispute if one tenant keeps parking in another tenant’s assigned spot. If you have a process in place to deal with these issues, you’ll be in a strong position. If you have processes in place to avoid these issues, your position will be even stronger, and everyone will have a better rental experience.
These are some of the best strategies we have for managing – and avoiding – disputes with tenants. Be willing to listen and respond. And if you find that keeping up with your tenants and their complaints is just too much, work with a Roseville property management company. Like us. Contact our team at Action Properties.
