First Rental Property

Let’s face it.  Most landlords suck at land-lording.

You always hear stories from people who are renting  homes as to how bad their landlord are.  Have you heard one of these stories before?  I sure have.

You seldom hear people talk about their landlords in high regard.  If they do, perhaps their landlord is a sweet little old lady.

The reality of the matter is that most landlords do not know how to be good landlords.  As a  result, this can put a definite strain on the tenant – landlord relationship.

Why does it matter if there is a strain on the tenant -landlord relationship?

Well, it matters for a variety of reasons.  First, as  landlords, you do not want your tenants to be upset.  If they are upset with your land-lording skills or lack thereof, this is your fault and you need to correct what you are doing wrong.

How do you know what you are doing wrong?

Most landlords have no idea what they might be doing wrong in relation to the relationship management of their tenants.

So…

If you are a sucky landlord and are doing things wrong that are upsetting your tenants, and you have no idea what it is that you are doing wrong, you are up sh*ts creek, right?

Well, no.  Not yet…

This is where I come in and let you know what you can do to build better relationships with your tenants.

The below mentioned list are a list of items you need to put into action.  I personally abide by this list and I have felt that these actions have helped me to both understand my tenants and build a good working relationship with them.

1)  Always send your tenant a welcome gift when they move in.

This is a must do.  You cannot EVER skip this step.  Giving a gift to your tenant upon their move in sets the tone for your relationship to come.  You want to welcome them wholeheartedly into their new home.  You also want to show them that you care about them.  Giving them a gift will do just that.

What type of gift do you give?

I have given gifts such as potted plants and gift baskets.  My personal favourite and my ‘go to gift’ is the gift basket.  You can buy pre-made gift baskets anywhere.  Try places like Wal-Mart.

I really like to design my gift baskets from scratch.  That way, you can personalize things to a certain degree. I design my gift baskets from scratch from the store Fruits and Passion.

Also another great place that you can buy gift baskets is through a company called, T Kid Baskets.  My fellow REIN Member, Carla Johnson‘s daughter runs this company along with one of her friends.

They sell large $40 gift baskets and medium $25 eco-friendly packages for new tenants, plus they have a $20 treat basket.  $1 from each basket goes to Free The Children. To place your order, the girls can be reached at tkid@ttri.ca.

2) Call your tenants once a month

I have stuck to this routine for the past 5 years. I always try to touch base with my tenants once a month via telephone. The purpose of my call is to touch base with them and see how things are going. I also want to know if they are having any problems with anything. I like this strategy for a number of reasons.

First, by talking to my tenants once a month, it allows me to get to know them better. So many sucky landlords end up never talking to their tenants…Months or even years go by and they have had no direct communication with them.

Second, regular communication with my tenants demonstrates to them that I am proactive. I want to demonstrate to them that if they ever need to get in touch with me, they will be easily able to.

3) Treat your tenants with respect

When you demonstrate to your tenants that you respect them, in most cases they will reciprocate this respect.

There is a saying that holds very true. It is:

In order to gain respect, you have to show respect

Show respect to your tenants by doing such things as:

1) responding to their calls promptly
2) be nice to them
3) listen carefully to their concerns
4) take action when you are called upon

If you show respect to your tenants, you will no doubt be respected in return.

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