Every landlord will encounter a tenant complaint no matter if they are a DIY landlord or not and if the rental is running smoothly. Rather than avoiding them, it’s best to learn how to manage the concerns of your renters. The first thing to do when you hear a tenant’s complaint is to stay calm and prevent the issue from escalating into a conflict.
This article tackles the common complaints of renters and teaches you how to address them so you end up with happy tenants who want to stay for a long time. Part of your responsibility as a landlord is coming up with the best resolutions when faced with property issues. It’s best to nip the complaint in the bud to reduce your stress!
Here are the top tenant complaints you’ll likely come across as a landlord:
- Maintenance problems
- Noise complaints about pets, neighbors, or other tenants
- Pest infestation
- Pet-related issues
Learning to resolve these types of complaints is vital since these are typical issues that renters often complain about.
Why Do You Need to Be Accessible as a Landlord?
Being available to tenants is important since they look to you to resolve a lot of their property issues. You can’t expect the renters to take action without consulting with you.
Most of the time landlords require prior approval before a renter can sublet, take in a pet, decorate the unit or repaint it with another color.
Tenants will want to let you know first what’s going on. Can you be reached by message or by phone? If you’re not accessible, tenants may not want to deal with difficult situations and this would cause them to move out.
Ensure your availability and be open when listening to tenants. Even if the tenant complaint appears petty, view it from the side of the occupant. Allow them to talk and vent. Once they’ve shared their concerns, you can offer solutions and provide information about how you’re handling the issue.
Always retain a document of what you’ve agreed on with the tenants, as proof. In case an issue escalates into a legal dispute and must go to court, you’ll have a record of the agreement and can protect yourself.
Handling Maintenance Problems
Most tenant complaints fall in the maintenance category. A lot of them can stem from the frustration tenants may feel if they believe that they’re limited on what to do.
If a pipe is broken, for example, tenants can’t fix it themselves since they may not usually have the expertise or money. It’s the landlord’s duty to resolve the issue and tenants have no choice but to wait until you take action or schedule a repair.
If the landlord ignores it or delays hiring a plumber to fix it, then the broken pipe can become inconvenient for the renter. As the property owner, you need to go to the rental unit and verify the situation.
A broken pipe may be caused by many different things. It’s best to have a maintenance expert inspect it. This way, it can be properly resolved.
After the assessment, you can inform the tenants on the root cause of the property issue, as well as the action you’re taking to fix it. Lastly, tell them how long it will take for the repair to be completed. Once it’s finished, you can ask for written feedback from the renter to make sure that the problem is fixed.
Managing Noise Issues
Another common tenant complaint revolves around noise. People have different noise threshold limits. If you have a multi-family rental home or your unit is located in a dense area, the problem can multiply.
Should renters approach you and complain about the disturbance caused by a neighbor, ask them to first settle it amicably with the neighbor.
If the noise continues despite this, then you’re obliged to handle it. If the issue concerns another one of your tenants then this is easy to fix. You can just send a notice to the tenant causing the noise and remind them of the leasing conditions. If the noise continues, you may serve an eviction notice.
Even if this appears to be a drastic move, you need to maintain a peaceful environment and avoid facing a situation where your quality tenants are moving out because of the noise. However, if it’s not your tenants causing the disturbance, you may call the police and make a formal complaint.
Resolving Pest Infestation
Another common problem that tenants complain about is pest infestation. Living inside a rental property where bugs, rodents, and termites coexist can be uncomfortable. It makes a tenant’s space uninhabitable.
If a tenant approaches you with this concern, you should act immediately. This is a problem that must take priority. Schedule an exterminator visit and reassure your tenants by providing the date and time of the extermination.
It’s recommended to book an exterminator regularly to avoid a pest infestation problem. Pest infestations can lead to high tenant turnover rates, which means you’d often have vacant rental units.
Marketing vacant units can take up both a lot of time and marketing effort. You’d also be required to spend money on ads, so it’s best to channel your funds into hiring an exterminator rather than dealing with tenant turnovers and a loss of income.
Fixing Pet-Related Problems
Most pet complaints are about barking dogs. If this is the case in your rental unit, then it’s best to talk with the pet owners and make them aware of the noise brought on by their pets, as well as the complaints coming from other tenants.
If the issue persists, then you can send a written warning. If you still receive complaints, it’s time to ask the pet owners to either send their pets away or move out of the rental. If no action is taken by the pet owner, you can decide on the eviction.
Bottom Line
When you own a business, you’re certain to receive complaints coming your way since there are no perfect situations. What separates great landlords from others is how they manage these complaints.
If landlords act proactively and deal with concerns right away, then they’ll win the trust and respect of their renters. You need to be decisive about resolving tenant complaints to protect both your landlord-tenant relationship and rental business.
Have more questions about how to properly manage your properties? Contact the team at East Bay Property Management! Our experienced team is here to guide you through all your property management needs.
