Being a property landlord, you need not just to perform property management but also Common Tenant Complaints management too. The reason is simple, the success of your property business = happy tenants.
Handling displeased tenants is not an easy task. You know common tenant complaints are an ongoing thing. Whether it’s about the property unit or other tenants, to handle such troublesome situations, you or your property management company must be available every time tenants call out for help.
Therefore, maintaining healthy relationships with renters is a must. It is essential to sort out common tenant complaints right on time and in an effective manner. Doing such will help you gain a better property reputation, build renters’ trust, and help you get good tenant reviews.
To give you a property management insider look, we jot down a list of the six most common tenant complaints along with its solution i.e. how you can handle them. So, take a look at the following points :
Common Tenant Complaints and How You Can Handle Them
1. Lack of Communication Clarity
Communication clarity or lack of communication is one of the top and the most common reasons why any tenant complaint. Nothing irritates a tenant more than a lack of communication. Nobody wishes to interact with a property manager or landlord who is irregular with their commitment, never responds to emails, or even hasn’t ever reverted their calls.
Lack of communication can make the entire communication process unsatisfying and conflicting for the tenants. Therefore, it is critical to provide tenants with a smooth communication experience and connectivity.
Be it, you or your property management company it is essential to listen and sort out every concern of tenants maintaining the right communication with them. Your property manager must be available to attend and deliver what’s required by the tenants with a professional approach under concern.
How To Handle:
- Make tenants realize you’re consistently available and open to every conversation.
- Develop quality of active listening, this will diminish every angry tenant’s anger.
- Let them know you are available on multiple lines of communication eg. e-mail, phone calls, texts, etc.
- Notify tenants or renters if any changes happen in the policy or initiate any maintenance project.
- Communicate slowing down your speed and words carefully.
2. Bad Property Managemant
Having proper property management is a must, not in terms of your tenant but also for your service and property class. How? Well, being a property manager you must have known that a renter or tenant lean more towards where they can find not just the fine class property but good maintenance service too.
It is quite understandable that a tenant might feel dissatisfied with their dealing situation if they couldn’t find a quick solution to their maintenance-related issues. A maintenance service that took too long to get completed or has been performed incorrectly will result in dissatisfaction. Which we sure no rental property management company or the owner would wish for.
Not just this, but a dissatisfied tenant could also leave negative tenant reviews that would impact your future renters too. So, by the end of the day what really matters is how actively you been available there for your tenants providing right maintenance to your business.
Being actively responsive along with right provider validation is a great sign of a sensible landlords. Understand that responsieness is not enough for a good tenant management. You should have a great understanding of how to handle any maintenance requests right on time.
How To Handle:
- Being a landlord you must be responsible for inspecting your property before and after evertime a tenant lives or leave the place.
- As a good property manger you must have connections with local contractors who will be available right on time.
- You must go with the laws concerning the tenant and rental property law.
- Making routine maintenance inspections could also discard the chances of getting any maintenance related tenant issue or complaint.
- Must perform HVAC inspection, fixing any faucet related issue and monthly check up is best way that can help you maximize your property value.
3. Unclear Property Rules
Unclear property rules and regulations are one of the common tenant issue you could ever deal with. Declaring or being clear with any frequent changes can help landlords discard getting tenant complaints or disputes. There are majorly three types of reasons that comes under unfair property rules these are:
Rent Increase-
Rent increment is one of the most common tenant complaint that makes most landlords termed unprofessional. Even though you have not done it intentionally, yet taking such action can put you into witness box. Consider to increase tenant’s rent periodically considering the inflation rate and the market. Increasing rent surprisingly without concerning it with the tenant can result in dissatisfied tenants.
Unfair Security Deposit-
Even though charging security deposit is a must, tenants usually consider it as if you are overcharging them. Your strict requirement to deposit for straight 2 months or may be cleaning or maintenance deposit can make your tenants insure about the amount whether they will get it back or not. Thus, clarification for the such deposit requirement must be given to the tenants by the landlord.
Deposit Refunds-
Dispute over deposit refunds is the most common yet most confusing tenant complaints faced by number of landlords every year. As per Rental Protection Agency deposit refund is the most filed complaint filed by tenants. It is important that you must be clear about how long it would take you to return the tenants security deposit amount. After they leave the rented place and the charge has been deducted for the damages if any.
4. Home Security System Issue
Security and tenant safety are two major concerns when it comes to a rental home. According to U.S. Department of Justice data, it was over 2.5 million burglaries happened in the United States annually. Therefore, most tenants look for properties that are guarded with a good home security system.
Some different parts of San Diego with high crime rates are East Village, Marina, Oak park are some of the theft-prone areas which are reported under the list of dangerous places. If your rental property is located at the same place then there is a probability that your tenant would complain to you for offering a good home security system for their protection.
It is critical to provide comfortable and happy tenets of family life. With the increasing number of home burglaries, it is essential that you must make your home protected from all types of criminal intrusion.
Providing home security is also important from the safety perspective of your tenets and for delivering them safe and comfortable tenant life. So, to discard the possibility of home burglaries and common home security threats you must make your tenant’s home protected.
How To Handle:
It is important that you must plan and adopt necessary security measures such as:
- The availability of well automated home security system.
- Add motion sensor with lights that capture movements and break-ins.
- Strong lock system for vulnerable openings such as windows or glass sliding doors.
- To deliver extra safety protection to the renters you can even add a “Safe” option. So, in case a burglary happens the safe will protect the renter’s valuable items.
- If you have a vacation rental property then you can upgrade the property by adding a smart lock system.
5. Pets Issue
Pets are the most common issue. Since the majority of people in the US pet different pets. Most landlords make suitable adjustments to expand their rental property scope by adding tenants pets under one roof. They do it by adding lease policies related to pets.
Since, having pets brings happiness and great joy to their owners, Therefore, allowing pets in a rental property is nowadays a must. According to an National Pet Owners Survey performed by APPA (American Pet Production Association) in 2011-22. It was found that around 70% U.S. homeowners i.e. around 90.5 million families have own a pet. Which makes making pet lease policies a must for every landlord.
However this doesn’t mean that you can offer your property to the tenants without making additional check-ups related to pet such as checking whether the pet is right for the property or not (disruptive), will it can harm other tenants or disturb other neighbors etc. Things like constant barking, outrageous aggressive pet behavior, constant pet waste on different areas can raise other tenant complaints. In such case taking right action is a must.
How To Handle:
- You can make your tenants fill the pet request form. Under which any notice related issue or property damage related issue along with action plans must be mentioned.
- If the situation goes out of control to resole such issue you must evicted the tenant .
- You can ask to offer complete information about the tenant’s pet’s age, characteristics, training skills as well as temperament details.
- You can take references from the pet trainer, renter’s previous landlord, vet and neighbors the pet and tenants details.
6. Noisy Neighbors
Having noisy tenants is something that is totally out of your control and wholly unpredictable. Being an property management company we understand when you get tenant complaint of having noise from neighbors how difficult it is to get under control. As such issue is not under anyone’s control.
Controlling noise from neighborhood is challenging due to having limited control over someone who live next block to your tenant’ door. Even though noisy neighbors aren’t directly connected to landlord’s or property manager’s concern. Still this could be directly put in front of them by as a tenant complaint by the tenants and expecting landlord to act on it.
Being a landlord, what you can do is, either confront neighbors and tell them the concern or you can advise your tenants to try themselves out to sort out the situation on their own. If you see no action update on the noise then you could try to install sound proof alternatives.
How To Handle:
- Initially discuss the issue with the neighbors.
- You can install soundproof walls on your tenants’ room.
- Can send formal notice to the neighbor’s informing them about the disturbances and complaints they are creating.
- If your are suggesting your tenants are initiating the complaint them don’t let them go disgruntled or with an angered attitude. Tell them to have a rational conversation so the actions will be completed peacefully.
- In case if the neighbors denies to low down the voice then you can take legal action on them.
Get Rid of Possibility To Encounter Common Tenant Complaints
To deal with such issue you must keep up with a organized approach. This will help you to avoid dealing with any frequent tenant complaints. In order to make sure to not welcome any tenant issue you can keep a record of all the renters complaints. This will create transparency and great professionalism between the landlord and the tenants.
If you have recently reported with any of the above-mentioned Most Common Tenant Complaints then it’s time for you to take effective measurable actions. Such as calling out for the rental property manager who can professionally take down your burden.
SunsetPM is a one stop solution for all your tenant and property related issue. Our Property Management Services will take your business to the next level helping you effectively track down every necessary including tenant complaints. Our property management agents will make sure that your tenants receive quick service excellence every time they connect.
So, without wasting your time connect with our experts today and get remarkable rental business growth today!