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Good communication is the foundation of every strong relationship, whether it’s with your partner, child, employer, or tenant.
For landlords, maintaining a positive relationship with tenants can make the job a whole lot easier and more enjoyable.
Effective communication helps to build trust, openness, and satisfaction, paving the way for a stronger relationship and a more seamless rental experience.
In this article, we’ll explore why clear communication is a crucial aspect of running an efficient property rental business and share practical tips for strengthening your landlord/tenant relationships through better dialogue.
Why good communication matters as a landlord
As a landlord, you are responsible for setting the tone for an open and respectful relationship from the get-go. Bear in mind that how you communicate with potential tenants lays the groundwork for the entire landlord/tenant relationship. Are you making a good first impression?
By communicating clearly and consistently from the very start, you can manage tenant expectations, prevent misunderstandings, and minimise disputes.
Being professional and proactive with communications demonstrates to tenants that you take your responsibilities seriously, helping to build trust and making them feel valued.
A friendly and approachable tone and professional communication can also give tenants the confidence to report issues early – preventing bigger issues later down the line.
Creating a good communication strategy won’t just benefit you now, it can also have long-term benefits, boosting your reputation as a landlord and helping you attract reliable tenants in the future.
How to communicate with tenants
Ok, so we understand that clear communication is important – but can you put this into practice?
Offer a variety of communication methods
When it comes to how you communicate with your tenants, flexibility is key.
Some tenants will hate speaking on the phone, while others won’t have the time or patience to write an email. Offer tenants a variety of different communication methods and channels so they can choose the one that is most convenient for them. Popular methods include phone, email, text, WhatsApp, social media messaging, and landlord software/apps.
Set the right tone
Remember, you are responsible for setting the right tone for your relationship. Be consistent in the way that you speak to tenants, no matter what channel you’re communicating over. The tone you should aim for is clear, courteous, and transparent. Avoid being overly formal and instead aim for friendly and approachable but professional.
Be consistent
Finally, try to avoid falling into the trap of going AWOL for long periods and only communicating with tenants sporadically or when there’s an issue. There’s a fine line between too little and too much communication, so take care to strike a healthy balance. Make it a habit to respond to tenant queries promptly, use automated reminders for upcoming tasks or events, and schedule regular check-ins with tenants in your calendar.
Encourage two-way communication
Whether you’re carrying out a periodic property inspection or making a quick call, approach it as an opportunity for a two-way dialogue – not just a box-ticking exercise. Ask tenants to share any concerns or questions they have and demonstrate genuine interest in their experience. This proactive, open approach not only builds stronger relationships but also helps improve your service.
Set the tone when onboarding new tenants
When you onboard new tenants, they’re still forming their first impressions of you as a landlord and the level of service they can expect. This is the perfect opportunity to set clear expectations, demonstrate professionalism, and establish a positive tone for future communications.
Because there is so much information to give when onboarding a new tenant, you’ll need to take a structured approach. Verbal explanations can quickly become overwhelming, which is why many landlords choose to create a paper or digital welcome pack for new tenants. This can include key documents, policies, contact details, and practical information about the property.
To ensure that tenants understand everything, it’s a good idea to walk through the welcome pack with them. This gives them the opportunity to raise any queries and clarify anything they’re unclear about.
Thorough and crystal clear communication during the onboarding process not only gets the relationship off to a positive start but also reduces confusion, limits follow-up queries, and cuts down on admin in the long run.
Communicate changes clearly
Making changes to your service mid-tenancy – whether it’s a rent increase, planned repairs, or a permitted adjustment to the tenancy agreement – can cause friction if not handled very carefully.
Nobody likes having this kind of thing sprung on them, so make sure you provide tenants with plenty of notice of any changes. In some cases, this isn’t just best practice – it’s a legal requirement. Communicating changes with plenty of notice shows respect and gives tenants time to process and respond to your announcement.
When letting tenants know about an upcoming change, always provide an explanation if you can. Providing a ‘why’ behind your decision can help encourage empathy and reduce friction; tenants will also appreciate your transparency and honesty.
Take care to keep your tone calm, friendly, and respectful – no matter what the tenant’s reaction! If the tenant is unhappy about the change, address their complaints professionally and without defensiveness.
Encourage two-way communication
Of course, good communication always involves a two-way conversation. Rather than focusing solely on getting your voice heard and your message across, think of ways to create space for tenants to be heard too. Encouraging tenants to share how they feel will make them feel valued and build mutual trust.
Ask for feedback
Don’t wait for a problem to arise before you speak to tenants. Proactively ask tenants for feedback on their experience – whether it’s through a quick email, a short survey, or a casual conversation during an inspection. This shows tenants that you care about them and about providing a high level of service, and it gives you valuable insight into how you could improve your business.
Show appreciation when tenants flag issues
It’s beneficial to you if tenants report issues early, as it can potentially prevent a small problem from snowballing into a much bigger one. So, when tenants report problems, make it a habit to thank them to encourage them to speak up again in the future.
Handling difficult conversations
Effective communication may seem simple enough when things are going swimmingly, but what about when things take a turn for the worse?
No matter how strong your relationship is with your tenants, sometimes, difficult conversations are unavoidable. Whether it’s rent arrears, noise issues, or breaches of the tenancy agreement, how you communicate during these situations can make all the difference to the outcome and your ongoing relationship with the tenant.
Approach problems tactfully
Before you approach the tenant, make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row. Start by gathering the facts and then approach the issue calmly and professionally rather than rushing in with all guns blazing. Communicate your concerns clearly, but take care to avoid sounding accusatory. Focus on finding a solution rather than placing blame. Use neutral language and a respectful tone to help deescalate tension and keep the conversation constructive.
Stay calm and objective
Even if things get heated, don’t let yourself get drawn into an argument. Always remain calm, composed, and professional – even if the tenant isn’t!
Use mediation services if necessary
Always try to resolve the disagreement amicably yourself. But if you can’t find a resolution that everyone is happy with, consider involving a neutral third party. Mediation services can help both sides communicate more effectively and find a fair outcome without resorting to formal legal action, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and stressful for everyone.
Always keep a record of communications
Get into the habit of keeping a record of all communications you have with your tenant. Whether it’s a conversation about repairs, a notice of a rent increase, or an email response to a complaint, documenting what was said, when, and how can offer you protection in the event of a misunderstanding or dispute.
In the event of a dispute, written records become vital evidence, especially if the tenant takes legal action against you. Keeping a record of all emails, text messages, and notes from phone calls or in-person conversations can help to demonstrate that you acted fairly, reasonably, and according to your legal obligations.
Improving tenant communication using Landlord Vision
Landlord Vision is an all-in-one property management and accounting tool that provides powerful tools for enhancing the consistency and clarity of your tenant communications and maintaining accurate records.
Let’s explore some of the key features of Landlord Vision that are designed to improve communication between landlords and tenants.
- Tenant Portal: Allows tenants to log into a secure portal and access important documents, payment information, and property details – all in one central place. This helps to reduce back-and-forth communication, as tenants have all the information they need at their fingertips.
- Tenant Service Desk: The Service Desk enables tenants to raise tickets for maintenance issues and other queries within the Tenant Portal. You can respond directly within the platform too, helping to manage requests efficiently and maintain a clear record of all interactions.
- Tenant Diary: The Tenant Diary is used to log all correspondence and maintain a comprehensive communication history, which is useful for resolving misunderstandings or disputes.
- Automated email invoicing: Automatically generate and send professional invoices and reminders via email, ensuring notifications are delivered promptly and consistently.
- Unlimited contact management: Save and categorise all contacts securely within the software to make communication easier and more efficient.
- Mail merge functionality: Create and upload your own letter or document templates, then use the integrated mail merge tool to send personalised messages to multiple tenants at once. You can filter recipients based on certain criteria, making large-scale communication quick and targeted.
Start communicating with tenants more effectively! Learn more about Landlord Vision features for buy-to-let landlords or request a free demo to take a tour of our software.
