Photo credit: lindsay.dee.bunny (Flickr)
Send your tenants greeting cards on special occasions.
Every so often, you find the “ideal” tenant that does everything perfectly: pays the rent on time, maintains the property, and causes no problems. You definitely want to keep these renters for as long as possible. How do you entice them to stay? You need to have a positive relationship with your tenants so they don’t want to leave.
You need to be the best landlord they’ve ever had, because renters are also judging you, too.
Use these 3 tips to keep your property filled with good renters:
Tip #1: Get to know your renter.
Nothing is more dehumanizing than being referred to as a nameless “client,” “renter,” or “tenant.” If you don’t know what your renter’s name is, it can make him or her feel insignificant or like just another number. Learn the names of all of people in the family (kids and all), and try to learn at least one fact about them. For example, if you know one of the kids plays soccer, ask how the season is going.
Knowing small facts about your tenants will make you seem personable and likeable. At the very least, know the first name of your tenants and address them by it.
Tip #2: Address renter needs and requests promptly.
A landlord that is unresponsive to concerns and requests comes off as uncaring and unprofessional. When a tenant approaches you with a need, give him or her your full attention and take care of what needs to be addressed. If requests can’t be done immediately, stay professional and calmly explain the situation.
Tenants don’t want to feel unimportant to their landlords. Whether you have one tenant or a hundred, your renters want to be heard.
Tip #3: Be the “nice” landlord.
You want your renters to say, “Oh, that was nice of my landlord.” You can accomplish this by making nice gestures to your tenants every so often. Send greeting cards to your tenants on special occasions like birthdays. Not only is this good public relations, but you’ll learn that your tenants like to be remembered by their landlord.
