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Best Practices for Effective Landlord and Tenant Communication

Dustin Edwards • Oct 05, 2021

Communication is Essential for Success with Rental Properties

Effective Landlord Communication
Communicating well with your tenants is essential to being a successful landlord. If you can relate to your tenants, they will feel comfortable with you and will appreciate having a landlord they can rely on and trust. This trust will cultivate respect toward you and your Long Beach rental.

However, fostering strong and successful connection can be challenging, especially for new landlords. To help alleviate this difficulty, here are some of the best practices for effective communication between landlords and their tenants. 

Identify a Preferred Contact Method
One of the most important steps toward effective communication is finding a contact method that both parties are comfortable and proficient in. The most common contact methods are texting, emailing, or calling. All three options are fairly easy and require little transfer of information other than a phone number or email address.  

Since everyone has different preferences when it comes to communicating, you should have a conversation with new tenants about how they would prefer to contact you. Using their preferred contact method will better guarantee a response if you need to contact them. 

Additionally, it may be helpful to place a list with your phone number and email address on the rental’s fridge, calendar, or bulletin board. That way, if your tenants ever forget how to reach you, all they have to do is reference the list. This can be especially helpful in emergencies. 

Set Expectations on Response Time 
Once you establish a preferred contact method, it is important to set expectations on when your tenants should respond to messages. That being said, as their landlord you should hold yourself to the same expectations. Tenants will not respect a landlord who makes them follow a set response time but responds haphazardly. 

For starters, provide a realistic time frame that you and your tenants can use to voice minor inconveniences or inquiries, such as 9 AM to 5 PM. Furthermore, set a response time of one to two days. This gives you and your tenants plenty of time to curate a sufficient reply. Conversely, there should be no time frame for emergencies, and response times should be almost immediate. Emergencies can come up at any time, day or night, and you need to be available whenever they occur. It is your responsibility as a landlord to look out for your tenants and protect them from danger (such as fires or water main leaks), otherwise, you could be held liable for any injuries. 

Document All Communication
Whenever you communicate with your tenants, you should keep a log of the entire conversation. This is especially easy with texts and emails since they stay saved unless you take the time to delete them. Nevertheless, even when it comes to calls, try to jot down notes of your conversation. 

There are many benefits to documenting all correspondence between you and your tenants. For one, it can protect you from any liability if tenants try to twist your words or falsify incidents. Second, it can act as a reminder for you to complete a task or schedule a repair that your tenant requested. 

Moderate Word Choice
Moderating your word choice and avoiding harsh speech is important to bridging effective communication between you and your tenants. If you are rude and hostile toward your tenants, then they will stop coming to you with rental problems, and they will also stop respecting you. 

To better recognize bad behaviors in the future, it is best to first acknowledge and understand them:
  1. Accusatory tone - saying the word “you” (i.e. “What were you thinking?” or “You need to stop this.”).
  2. Foul language - cussing out your tenants or yelling expletives at them.
  3. Dismissive response - accusing your tenants of being overdramatic or brushing off their requests for repairs. 

These actions are some of the common bad behaviors that will prove unproductive when communicating with your tenants. They will act as nothing but a communication barrier, preventing your tenants from trusting you or feeling comfortable in your Long Beach rental. Respect is not earned by belittling or yelling. Rather, it is earned by being respectful. 

Understanding the best practices for effective communication is a complicated but necessary process to be a good and favorable landlord. If you would like further assistance with conversing and relating to your tenants, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can fill out our Owner Application online

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By Dustin Edwards 01 May, 2024
Everyone wants to feel safe in their homes. As an investment property owner, it's up to you to decide whether or not to include security measures in your property. Many of the costs associated with the security measures can be included in the rent, meaning not only can you keep your property safe, but you can earn more income in the long run. However, you would still want your tenants to have renters insurance to protect their assets. Today, we’ll discuss the top five security measures you can add to your property and why they're beneficial to you and your tenant. Security Cameras Cameras are probably one of the first security measures people think about when asked about security. Cameras provide more benefits than just surveillance. They provide an extra level of security for the safety of the tenants and their belongings. Additionally, security cameras can be useful when repairs are required. Cameras can aid in supervising repairs and maintenance to ensure you’re receiving the agreed-upon work. During vacancies when the property is empty, security cameras can help keep the property safe from potential intruders. Doorbell cameras are incredibly popular now. They provide the aforementioned safety of a camera that can be accessed remotely, as well as the ability to communicate with visitors. Although one must be careful never to say you're not home, just say you're unavailable to strangers. Security Lights Security lights with motion detectors are another effective tool when adding security measures to your property. These lights brightly if a potential intruder attempts to get near your home. They can provide enough illumination to see the intruder or, at the very least, scare them off. Nowadays, you can find a combination of security cameras and motion-activated security lights, such as the floodlight cam wired plus from Ring . Additionally, because these lights only turn on when motion is detected, they’re more cost-effective than traditional lights with a switch. Illuminate the Property Light generally deters intruders as it's more difficult to hide. Adding lighting to the landscaping can increase the security of the property while creating a relaxing atmosphere. Lights can also be used in other areas of the property to accent features such as trees, benches, or artwork. This can help your property stand out while giving your tenants an additional feeling of safety. Keyless Entry Keyless entry is seen as both a convenience feature and a security feature. They usually use an electronic passcode, biometric data, or grant access through a smartphone app. Physical keys can be lost, stolen, or duplicated. You reduce the risk of unauthorized entry by eliminating the need for a physical key to enter the property. Many keyless entry systems include several features, such as remote locking and monitoring. Although keyless entry is a great new technology for keeping your tenants and properties safe, they’re best used with other security systems. Security Company Nothing beats having an extra pair of eyes on your property for security. This is where security companies like ADT and SimpliSafe come in. While companies may deal with security in varying ways, they aim to protect your investment. While safety is the primary role of a security company, remember that many tenants may be willing to pay more for a premium amenity like a home security company. Keeping your property and tenants safe is incredibly important to the longevity of an investment property. If you’re looking to improve the security of your Long Beach rental property or need help managing your beach city rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or fill out our Owner Application online .
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