The landlord-tenant relationship can be tricky. As a landlord, you want your tenants maintain the property, pay their rent on time and do nothing that would disturb the peace of the community or neighborhood. Having said this, have you, as a landlord, ever considered what your tenants expect from you? You may have heard the phrase, ‘it takes two to tango.’ Exactly, our point! If you wish to have good tenants, be a good landlord! Here’s what you can focus upon to ensure the support and cooperation of your tenants.

Regular and Informed Maintenance

As part of the Rental Agreement signed by you (the landlord/ property agency) and the tenant, conduct regular repairs and maintenance. However, before carrying out any such work, as you must make it a point to inform your tenants. Such repair and maintenance work should not cause any inconvenience for your tenants. It is best to avoid having any repairs conducted when the tenants are around as it could be inconvenient for them. Get work done anytime between 9-5 right through the week, when your tenants are likely away at work. You must also inform your tenants as to why such repairs are being conducted. Your tenants are sure to appreciate the effort you put in to maintain the apartment and community, and as well as the fact that you ensure that none of this will cause any hindrance to his/her daily schedule.

Keeping Them Safe

If your tenants do not feel safe about the place they live in, it will be highly unlikely that they renew their lease. What can you do as a landlord to ensure the safety of your tenants? Well, go through the list below:

1. Ensure doors and locks are properly maintained
2. Keep outdoor areas like parking lots, parks, paths, entry and exit points well-lit.
3. If the property is surrounded by greenery, have the foliage trimmed regularly.
4. If the property is fenced, keep it high and always conduct repairs when needed.

A Polite Personality Goes a Long Way

It would do you much good if you did away with the stereotypical ‘monster landlord’ personality. Be polite in all your dealings with your tenants. You must understand that they are paying you thousands of dollars on a yearly basis for the apartment they have rented. Keep the following pointers in mind.

1. Never ignore their phone calls.
2. Speak politely when a tenant calls up or meets you in person to discuss an issue related to the property.
3. Mutually discuss any issue/ problem with your tenant/s.
4. Never use profanity.
5. Be firm when it comes to taking against tenants who have broken community rules or have indulged in activities that have an adverse effect on the community and other tenants.

This makes you approachable. Your tenants will know that they can approach you with their problems and have them taken care of. This strengthens the bond between the landlord and the tenant.

Parking Space Facilities

Finding parking space in urban areas can be quite an issue.  As a landlord, you can be of much help here by providing parking space for your tenant/s either on the premises or at a place close to the premises. What you can do is provide your tenant/s with designated parking space. Have this included and charged for in the Rental Agreement. Having done this, do enforce parking rules and be sure to send warnings to tenants who break them. If a tenant happens to flout these rules on more than one occasion, have his/her picked up by a towing truck to ensure that the rules are not taken lightly.

The fact that you have provided a space for parking will be appreciated by all your tenants. When it comes to taking action against a particular tenant who happens to continuously break the parking rules, other tenants will look up to you for being just and law abiding. This creates a positive impression upon your tenants.

In the Loop about Upcoming Inconveniences

Are you aware of a planned power outage that is to take place in your area sometime soon? Do you know about certain roads being closed for repairs? Do you have any information about the civic authorities conducting work in your area that will cause the water supply to be cut for a few hours? As a responsible landlord, you should inform your tenants if you have any information about the above points. Use emails, text messages and newsletters to convey such information to your tenants. It is important that you keep them in the loop. This will prevent unnecessary questioning and your tenant/s will thank you for going out of your way to keep them informed about such inconveniences.

In House Rules

Your tenants must cooperate with one another. Have certain house or community rules in place. These rules should be read and signed by all tenants and ensure that action is taken if anyone is found to have violated the same. If the matter is serious, don’t hesitate to evict. Good tenants should also be good neighbors, right? What are some of the rules you can impose? Here are a few tips:

1. Ensure doors and locks are properly maintained
2. Keep outdoor areas like parking lots, parks, paths, entry and exit points well-lit.
3. If the property is surrounded by greenery, have the foliage trimmed regularly.
4. If the property is fenced, keep it high and always conduct repairs when needed.

Pets – Yes or No?

One way to get your tenants to stay and be good to you is by allowing them to keep pets. However, if you do decide to allow this, have certain rules put in place that ensure that the owners of these pets take full responsibility for and clean up after them. You can have this included in the Rental Agreement. You can provide garbage cans and doggy bags to be used. Have your tenants keep their pets on a leash when in a public place. If you find that your tenants are not abiding by the pet-policies, you have laid down; you can ask them to remove the pet from the rented property.

Well, there’s much more that you can do to get your tenants to support and cooperate with you. It all begins with the way you treat them. Remember that even though the property is yours, you have rented it out to them. Help them create a homely environment. Make sure that nothing threatens the safety of any of your tenants. Never shy from seeking help from the local authorities when it comes to the safety and well-being of your tenants. Why would your tenants be good to you if you do not take measures to be good to them? The onus lies with you!