5 tips for tenant communication

They say that it is not possible to communicate too much. With rental tenants, this is perhaps even truer. Whether it be by email, phone, text, certified mail or in person, staying in close contact with your tenants can make a huge difference in the management of your rental home. Here are 5 tips for tenant communication from RPM Rental Solutions, the leader in Murfreesboro Property Management.

1. Keep it unemotional. Whether your tenants are outstanding or a cause of great frustration, don’t forget this is a business, and your relationship should reflect that. Treat the residents professionally, and don’t get attached or too personal. Tenant communication should be clear and forthright.
2. Communicate much, much more than you think you need to. At RPM Rental Solutions in Murfreesboro, we have tenants who have come from previous landlords who would never even answer their maintenance requests or respond to problems. Tenants not only need responses, they also need proactive landlords. Email, call, or text — whatever works best for you and your tenants. Good tenant communication can prevent many issues. With regular inspections and maintenance needs, your tenants need to always know what is going on around the home.
3. Keep it local. If you hire a property manager for a home in the Murfreesboro, Smyrna or LaVergne areas, make sure they have Middle Tennessee property management experience. Each market is different — for some property management companies that have a generic nationwide approach, one-management-does-not-fit-all. Finding someone who is experienced with property management in your rental home’s area is so helpful to both you and your tenant. It is very reassuring to have a property manager who knows the best schools, Tennessee Landlord Tenant Act knowledge, understanding of utilities and local structural issues, best repairmen, etc. At RPM Rental Solutions, we grew up right here in Murfreesboro. We are happy to provide you with our helpful experience specifically in property management for Middle Tennessee.
4. Be sure the tenant understands the terms of their lease before they sign it. Knowing the expectations from the beginning helps tenants to be prepared. So many tenants are overly eager to sign their lease without paying any attention to the terms or what they are required to do. As property manager, simply taking the time at the lease signing to go over the important details can help avoid so many issues that arise later down the road.
5. Document everything! Whether it is through certifying mail, keeping hard copies both in your files and provided for tenants, taking pictures of posted communication on a door that is date stamped (or with a copy of a dated newspaper in the picture) or communicating via text/email that is saved, you have evidence of your tenant communication. This can be helpful if legal matters arise and can also be essential when multiple people in your company may interact with a tenant.

Tenant communication when managing your own property can sometimes be a frustrating and negative experience. Often it helps to have a “middle man” to handle these issues. If you would like a good Murfreesboro property management partner, we would be happy to handle these for you at RPM Rental Solutions — it’s our specialty! Contact us today for a free, no commitment consultation for your rental home! 615-900-4067