Your tenants must have easy ways to get in touch with you if you are renting out a single-family home. This is not only ideal for monitoring your valuable property, but it can also help you maintain a positive relationship with your tenant. Giving your tenants your personal contact information is not always a good idea, not the least of which is the chance that they will abuse the privilege. Therefore, what are the best methods for tenants to contact you? Let’s take a look at some of the most effective methods professionals advise tenants to use to contact their landlords or Olympia property owners.
Phone and Email
Minimum requirements for a rental property business are a dedicated phone line and email address. This is true regardless of the number of rental properties you own. The most professional way for tenants to contact you is via telephone and email. All communications can be routed through the appropriate channels, documented, and prevented from slipping through the cracks by having a dedicated phone and email.
Emergency Maintenance Line
Setting up a maintenance hotline that your tenants can call after regular business hours is another crucial communication tool. This line ought to be answered by a live person, not a recording, and it must be clear to the tenant that it is only for emergencies. This will make sure that tenants only call this number in an emergency and are aware that there might be extra fees associated with using this service.
Tenant Portal
Creating a tenant portal is another excellent way to stay in touch with your tenants and ensure that all communications are forwarded through the right channels. A tenant portal is an online system that enables tenants to submit non-emergency maintenance requests, pay rent, and communicate with you in a centralized location. A tenant portal is made specifically for landlords and property owners, and the majority of them enable communication between you and your tenants. Utilizing a tenant portal will help you maintain organization and make sure that all communications are properly recorded.
Social Media
If you are comfortable using social media to advertise your rental properties, you might also consider using it to interact with your tenants. This is a great way to provide tenants with maintenance updates, property changes, and any other pertinent information. Additionally, they can ask questions and provide you with an opportunity to address any concerns. Use a private messaging system or private page if you choose to use social media for tenant communication to keep your conversations private.
Set Clear Boundaries
There may be more than one form of communication necessary to communicate with tenants effectively. No matter which course of action you take, it’s crucial to establish clear guidelines for how and when your tenant may get in touch with you. It would be beneficial if there were also obvious, predetermined repercussions for tenants who try to circumvent your rules. Establishing clear boundaries and modeling respectful communication are two of the best things you can do. Your ability to ensure that communications with your tenant are appropriate and sent via the correct channels depends on your ability to be clear about your expectations.
The bottom line is that it’s crucial to be professional, consistent, and clear when communicating with tenants, regardless of which method (or combination of methods) you select. Finding a great property management company like Real Property Management Imagine to handle tenant communications is another great option. Contact us online to learn more about our tenant portal and other professional property management tools.