Establishing Good Relationships with the Tenants in Your Buy-To-Let Property
The landlord/tenant relationship can be a difficult one, fraught with tension. But it doesn’t have to be. By keeping open communications, properly maintaining the property, and laying out rules for your tenants to follow, you can ensure that everyone is always on the same page. Here are seven tips to help you foster a great landlord/tenant relationship.
1. Tenants Must Pay Rent on Time
According to Which?, rent arrears are one of the most common causes of eviction in the UK. As a landlord, you may have experienced a tenant who pays their rent late. If so, you will understand the frustration it causes. When your tenant first moves in, stress to them the importance of paying their rent on time, especially if they want to stay in your good books.
2. Provide Clear Property Instructions
Not all properties have the same internal systems. Tell your tenants to take note and listen to any instructions you give them regarding the heating, appliances, electrics, and so on. For example, in older properties over winter, you may need to let your tenants know that they must regularly run water through taps to prevent the pipes from freezing.
3. Keep in Contact
Communication is key to any healthy relationship. Give your tenants a number they can reach you on, and the numbers for your plumber and electrician in the event of an emergency. However, it is also important to explain to your tenants that you do have other responsibilities beyond the property they are renting. Let them know they can leave you a voicemail and you will get back to them; they don’t have to call you over and over until you pick up.
4. Treat the Buy-To-Let Property and the People we work with, with Respect
If you send someone over to fix any issues with your buy-to-let property, you expect them to be treated with respect. Make this clear to tenants. Not only the people who work on property, but the property itself should be treated well. Your tenants can’t expect to keep a pleasant relationship with you if they do damage to the property or disrespect those you send to help.
5. Work with Me, Not Against Me
Everyone has a busy life. You understand that, and your tenants need to also. You can’t be expected to drop everything to come rushing to fix a minor problem, as you are likely to have more pressing issues to attend to. Your tenants will sometimes have to compromise, and low-priority issues may have to wait until you have time for them. They may also have to stay at home on their day off to let in your handyman and compromise on appointment times to find something that can work for everyone.
6. Explain the Tenancy Agreement
Ensuring that your tenants read and understand their tenancy agreement can save a lot of complaints. Your tenancy agreement should lay out all the rules that need to be followed in your buy-to-let property. You should explain these to help prevent any confusion. This should stop tenants doing things you are unhappy with, and ensure that there is no tension in your relationship. When they move in, they agree to follow the rules you set out, so it’s important they are clear on what these are.
7. Tenants Should Respect Their Neighbours
When it comes to neighbours, it’s all about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Let your tenants know that they are expected to treat neighbours with respect and that you don’t expect to receive any complaints about loud noise or unsocial behaviour. Ask them to think about the volume of the TV and music, and if they would appreciate their neighbour playing loud music at night or holding all-night parties.
In Summary
Being a buy-to-let landlord is not always going to be easy, but fostering a good relationship with your tenants can remove a lot of stress from your life as a landlord. When your tenants move in, let them know what they can expect from you and what you expect from them. This should ensure that everyone involved in the rental of the property can be happy during the duration of your tenant’s stay.
Contact Ezytrac today at +44 0 1522 503 717 to learn why so many buy-to-let landlords trust us to keep great relationships with their tenants.
Live with passion
Brett Alegre-Wood