Finding and bringing out the best in great tenants is the result of careful screening, a little luck, and consistently good landlord/tenant communication. The advantages of having reliable, respectful tenants cannot be overstated. They make your life easier by paying their rent on time, keeping their apartment or house clean, and respecting the rights of neighbors. When you’re fortunate enough to have responsible tenants living in your rental properties, the last thing you want to do is lose them!
Every time a good tenant leaves, you have to start from “square one” and hope that you’ll find as good of a tenant as the previous one. While a certain amount of turnover is inevitable, there are plenty of free or cost-effective strategies for encouraging tenants to stay and renew their leases. Here are a few ideas to help reduce turnover and hold on to those folks who are a pleasure to rent to.
- Be reachable and responsive. A surefire way of losing good tenants is to make them feel like their needs are unimportant. If they have to contact you multiple times to get a broken appliance repaired or a clogged drain fixed, then their level of satisfaction will quickly decline. Setting up a system in which they can submit maintenance requests online and receive an immediate automated response is one way to efficiently handle issues and acknowledge requests.
- Communication makes the difference. Setting expectations from “day one” and laying the groundwork for good, two-way communication can help avoid misunderstandings and create a clear process for problem resolution. Giving tenants advance notice for things that may affect them, like exterminator visits or asphalt sealcoating, is another way to keep them in the loop and minimize feelings of being inconvenienced.
- A little public relations goes a long way. Providing tenants with friendly gestures like birthday cards, holiday greetings, tenant newsletters, or even an inexpensive welcome basket can help pave the way for constructive, long-term tenant/landlord relations. Updating and expressing appreciation to tenants can also be done through a website, blog, or Facebook page.
- Provide relief from the heat. With hot temperatures prevailing in Miami from June through September, tenants are going to appreciate, if not expect, working air conditioners, ceiling fans, ice makers, and other methods of staying cool.
The bottom line is to make your tenants feel as comfortable and appreciated, as possible, without having to spend a bundle of money! Efficiently handling maintenance needs, an important aspect of tenant satisfaction, is one of the aspects of effective property management that our company can handle for you.
In addition to providing you with a 24/7 online portal, we can take care of day-to-day management and make sure your rental properties are in move-in condition before new tenants step through the door. Your tenants will be much more satisfied with their rentals when repair requests and problem resolution are handled quickly, professionally, and — in many cases — online. Book a free consultation with PMI Miami Dade to learn more about our array of property management services and how they can make your life easier!
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