No matter what, any landlord will receive their fair share of tenant complaints. Issues, no matter how minor, are likely to materialize throughout your time managing rental properties. Developing skills that help you respond to complaints and resolve issues can make it easier to retain long-term tenants.
Ignoring tenant complaints may lead to a tenant breaking their lease early, which can affect your monthly income. Learning about how to manage the most common tenant complaints before they even happen reduces your stress and protects your time as a landlord.
This article will provide solutions for each of the most common issues rental property owners encounter to help landlords resolve tenant complaints.
Our #1 Tip to Reduce Tenant Complaints: Be Accessible
Tenants should be able to get in touch with you when they run into a problem at your rental property. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be available to everyone 24/7. You should have at least two methods of access in case an emergency occurs.
Even if it seems like a minor issue, the tenant is choosing to contact you about it, so always listen and work to find a solution. If you’re unable to be reached right away, make sure you return their calls and messages as soon as you’re able. Let them know the expected timeframe in which you’ll attend to their issue, so they know you are serious about resolving the problem.
Be sure to document the exchange, including any associated invoices if repairs are needed. As a landlord, it’s important to always keep track of finances related to your property and exchanges you have with tenants.
If you work with a property manager, you won’t have to worry about this at all, since they’ll be there to deal with emergencies, tenant complaints, and maintenance issues.
4 Common Complaints and How to Resolve Them
1. How to Handle Pet Complaints
Renting to tenants with pets can be a great idea - after all, 66 percent of households in the US have a pet as of 2023. However, if you are a pet-friendly rental, you may receive complaints about noises or unhygienic pet-related practices from time to time.
Respond right away to fix the problem, and try to limit any feelings of animosity between the pet owner and the frustrated tenant. Send a notice to the pet owners reminding them that it’s their responsibility to manage noise and clean up after their pets, to reduce complaints coming from the other tenants.
If the tenants continue to report the same issue, then consider an eviction. It may be a drastic resolution, but losing multiple renters can be a bigger problem. Remember that the tenants with pets have signed a lease agreement detailing clauses for managing their pets’ behavior and cleanliness. You can send written warnings before an eviction notice if the problem persists.
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2. How to Manage Complaints About Pests
You don’t want to be renting out a unit housing rodents or bugs. It may send a signal that you don’t care if the living space you’re providing is uncomfortable or unhygienic. If you receive a pest-related complaint, you need to attend to it promptly to avoid losing your renters.
Be proactive and have a list of contacts for trusty exterminators, so in case a resident reports a pest sighting, you can immediately call a professional to fix the issue. Inform the renter when the extermination procedure will take place so they can make advanced plans.
Multi-family properties can be susceptible to the transfer of pest infestation since units are usually close to each other. It is best to adopt a preventive measure and arrange services for surrounding units, as well.
3. How to Deal with Property Maintenance Issues
Another common tenant complaint is property maintenance issues. With several occupants in a multi-family property, wear and tear is bound to happen. As a landlord, one of your main duties is to provide tenants with a clean and well-maintained rental unit. If repairs are overdue, you need to attend to them right away.
When a renter submits a complaint related to property maintenance, you should communicate with the tenant immediately to schedule a time for an expert to come inspect the issue and determine what’s needed to resolve it.
Make time to speak with the renters to let them know details about the issue, how it’s going to be fixed, and the due date of the completed repair. Provide regular updates so the renter can stay aware of the status of the repairs. After a few days, it’s a good practice to contact the renter to follow up on whether the repair was successful.
4. How to Resolve Noise Disturbances Caused by Neighbors/Other Renters
If your renters find a neighbor noisy, you can advise them to speak amicably with the neighbors first. If the cause of the noise came from one of your own renters, you can remind them about the signed lease agreement, which should focus on reducing noise and not disturbing other renters.
If the problem continues, you can contact the city enforcement to handle the case. If the problem keeps resurfacing after a verbal warning, you can send a written warning, before deciding if an eviction is the best course of action.
Bottom Line
Since tenant complaints are bound to arise throughout a tenancy, you need to be prepared with resolutions. Your goal is to limit or avoid conflicts that consume a lot of time and keep you from retaining residents over the long term.
It is best to keep a cool head and lend an ear when faced with tenant complaints. Be a responsive landlord who reassures your renters that you’re accessible and care about providing them with a safe and comfortable rental unit.
If you need additional support for dealing with common tenant complaints, you can contact Castle Management. As a full-service property management company, we take care of everything from lease agreements to maintenance to eviction assistance. Get in touch with us today to learn more!
