Dealing with Tenants
Is your tenant your costomer and should he be treated like one? When you treat him like a customer, you will have to say your tenant is always right, because the customer is always right. Does a customer need to fill in an application form before he buys bread in your bakery? No, but your tenant has to apply and sign a contract before you rent him a place. Try to focus on your tenant as a highly valuable employee and not a customer.
Have a good relationship with your tenants, because good tenants are very valuable. Exceptional tenants should be rewarded when living up to all expectations, they should also learn the consequences when they fail to do this. Tenants have responsibilities, but so do you as the property manager. Don't be a boss, be a leader. Listen to what your tenants have to say and don't just dictate what can and can't be done. Get involved, be reachable and tune in with your tenants. Your responsibility as a property manager brings consequences too.
Treat all your tenants the same way. Don't give one tenant one more chance than the other. If you treat everyone differently, it will backfire at you.
If you allow one tenant to slip away from their responsibilities, others will follow. Be firm but kind, calm yourself down and think before you react. Other tenants will surely see the way you respond to certain things that are going on in the building. Tenants that don't live up to their contract deserve to be treated fairly, but must now that a termination of the contract is always possible.
If you are very satisfied with your tenants, give something in return. You might even consider throwing them a 'thank you'-dinner once a year. It will cost you some money at that time, but it will be beneficial. Your tenants will remember what you do to appreciate them. It's even better if you invite your carpenter, plumber, painter... to that party too. They will also feel very appreciated and will probably be willing to help you out sooner than another client in case of an emergency.
If a tenant has a problem, make time to hear them out. Try to find the easiest way to help them out. Maybe now is the time to call that plumber for that emergency.
If you have long time tenants award them, let them know how wonderful you think it is that they've been such a good and loyal tenants over the years.
Get to know your tenants (of course when you own a massive amount of flats that are being rented out, this isn't possible) and their families. Let them know you are interested in who you are dealing with.
If you think about dealing with tenants with all these tips in the back of your mind, you'll be able to look at them in a different way. And your tenants will really appreciate what you are doing for them.