A difficult tenant situation may be a major hassle for any landlord. Several of your tenants consistently have payment issues, and others are reckless and cause damage to your property. Most landlords have to deal with problematic renters at some point, and it’s never fun. Good news: As a property management company, we have compiled a list of potentially troublesome tenants and solutions to help you out of a jam. Continue reading to learn more.
Maintain your composure, objectivity, and reason
It’s natural to get frustrated when tenants cause issues. Being irascible will just make matters worse. Keep your emotions in check when discussing issues with your tenants.
If you’re a landlord, you need to be the one talking sense to your tenants. So, think this out, taking as much time as you need, from every angle. If you can convey calm and tact to your tenants, they will be much more receptive to your message.
Document anything that can be documented in writing
Keeping detailed records of all interactions with tenants will help you prevent potential disagreements. While this can raise your workload, it will also reduce the likelihood that a problematic tenant will try to file a dispute over a fee or other issue. Therefore, it is a worthwhile endeavour
Instruct your tenants on proper conduct
Like any other type of relationship, the tenant-landlord one requires behaviours to match the desired outcome. If you don’t, your tenants will start taking advantage of you. For instance, they may come to believe they can get away with not paying rent on time if they are not promptly confronted about violating the lease’s restrictions. Accordingly, if you stick to your principles, you’ll experience significantly less problems.
If your tenants aren’t responding to your efforts, it’s important to keep trying to reach out to them. In this way, the tenant will understand that you will not ignore the problem and that action must be taken immediately to avoid further repercussions.
Make an effort to win over your tenants
Have you ever heard the expression “kill them with kindness” in reference to resolving conflicts with antagonistic people? Achieve your goals with your tenants by actively pursuing ways to be nice to them. There are several ways to show your appreciation, such as being patient and quick to react to their emails and phone calls.
Although this approach is challenging, it can help you gain the trust of even the most difficult renters and establish a lasting connection with them. Tenants are more likely to abide by your regulations if you have a solid relationship with them.
Request that the Horrible Tenants Vacate
Reaching that breaking point is when you should seriously consider asking them to leave. Tenant problems might make it difficult, but not impossible, to get a tenant to voluntarily vacate the premises. A Written Notice to Vacate sent in accordance with the lease’s terms will serve as notice that it is time for the tenant to vacate the premises.
Nonetheless, you can’t just order a tenant to vacate your property. A pricey eviction process is your only other choice if they refuse to leave voluntarily.
The Eviction Procedure Should Begin
Costs associated with evicting a tenant mean that you should only do it as a last option. It is imperative for a landlord to be aware of the local eviction rules and procedures. A renter can be evicted in several states, but only for one of the following three reasons:
The tenant defaulted on rent payments.
The renter did not vacate the premises after the lease had expired.
There was a breach of the lease terms by the renter.
If you think you have grounds to evict a tenant because of a personality clash, think again. Sorry, but you can’t have that.
Do yourself a favour and get a property manager
No matter how much effort you put into pleasing a tenant, there will always be that one that is a pain in the neck. When it occurs, it’s wise to delegate the responsibility. Just think of all the time you’d save and the tension you’d avoid if you did this. Most landlords would agree that it’s worth the cost to hire a professional property manager to oversee their rental properties.
Wrap up!
Tenant screening is the first line of protection against problematic renters. A less-than-rigorous screening method could be to blame for an increase in tenant problems. House Manage’s property management staff is so good at tenant screening that eviction rates for the tenants we put are well below the national average.
