If you are a landlord, you understand that sometimes the hardest part of owning rentals is dealing with tenants. After all, your tenants may be renting your property, but they have made your property their home. As such, it’s understandable that conflicts may arise occasionally. However, the biggest mistake in dealing with tenant issues is not having a plan. Today, we’ll review seven ways to resolve common tenant conflicts.
Key Takeaways:
- Hire a property management company to handle tenant conflicts, ensuring professional and impartial communication.
- Keep detailed written records of all interactions and incidents with tenants to support your case in disputes or legal matters.
- Clearly understand your rights under the lease and establish firm boundaries to prevent and manage tenant conflicts effectively.
7 Ways to Resolve Common Tenant Conflicts
Nobody wants to have a disagreement with one of their tenants. However, sometimes, they’re unavoidable. Whether there was a miscommunication about a maintenance request or a misunderstanding about the lease agreement, there’s no telling what may cause a conflict between you and a tenant. However, the way you respond is crucial. Here are seven considerations for handling a tenant conflict.
- Let Your Property Management Company Be the Bad Guy
- Keep a Written Record of Communication
- Know Your Rights Under the Lease
- Show Empathy, But Stick to Your Guns
- Give Tenants Choices
- Consider Mediation
- Set Firm Limits
Let Your Property Management Company Be the Bad Guy
One reason tenant conflicts can be so intense and stressful is that they are so personal. Removing yourself from the equation makes it easier to solve the problem. A solid property management company will have experience dealing with various tenant issues.
Instead of telling your tenant they cannot do something, your Washington DC property management company can communicate the bad news. The tenant may still be frustrated, but their frustration will not be directed at you.
When bad news comes from the property management company, it will also seem more official—more like a long-standing policy—and tenants will be less inclined to take it personally. They will also be more likely to accept the decision without any further conflict.
A third way your property management company can take the fall is by telling the tenant that you can’t accommodate a particular request because it is against company policy. Most tenants understand being bound by policies.
Solid property management companies provide landlords with many benefits, but one of the biggest emotional benefits is dealing with tenant conflicts.
Keep a Written Record of Communication
Human memory is notoriously unreliable. You may think you will never forget what and when a tenant made a ridiculous request. However, the details of the encounter will fade within just a few days.
If a tenant conflict ever goes to court or you have to evict a tenant, you will fare much better if you have an accurate set of facts to back up your case. So, keep a written record of tenant conflicts. The record doesn’t have to be fancy. Instead, think of the record as more like a log.
Record the date of an incident and provide a one- to two-sentence description of what happened. Make sure to record any promises either you or the tenant made. This record will make it easy to see the evolution of an issue. Additionally, you can monitor to see if the tenants are keeping their promises or if you need to do a better job fulfilling your commitments.
If the relationship doesn’t get better and you have to evict a tenant or take other action, having a written record will make it easier to prove your case.
Know Your Rights Under the Lease
The lease contains all of your responsibilities and rights as the landlord. That said, when dealing with difficult tenants, you must clearly understand what you can do to protect yourself.
Often, landlords only think about their right to evict a tenant who fails to pay their rent. However, your lease probably gives you many other rights that can be used to correct tenant behavior and resolve disputes.
The best way to ensure you understand the lease is to consult with an experienced lawyer who is knowledgeable about landlord issues. Each city or state may have specific regulations for rentals that differ from other areas. That said, your property management company should be able to recommend an excellent local lawyer.
Show Empathy, But Stick to Your Guns
Show Empathy, But Stick to Your GunsPeople get angry for many reasons, and not all of them directly relate to the issue at hand. Sometimes, tenants just want to know you are listening to them.
Being a successful landlord requires great customer service skills. That said, this doesn’t mean your tenants are always right, but you do need to show empathy for them.
When dealing with a tenant upset about something, you need to listen to their entire story and refrain from interrupting. Additionally, you need to show them you listened to them and understand they are upset. However, you shouldn’t apologize or back down from your policy or rights under the lease.
You can use phrases like:
- “I understand why you are frustrated. Unfortunately, the policy says ___”
- “I know this is a difficult problem. Here is what I can do.”
Sometimes, just acknowledging the situation will help diffuse it.
Give Tenants Choices
Nobody likes being forced to do something. Sometimes, tenant conflicts can be avoided by simply giving the tenant two or three choices. The key is to ensure that you can live with the consequences no matter what the tenant chooses.
This allows the tenant to feel like they got a win and that you respect them. When you control your choices, you also get what you want without looking like the enemy. You get to help the tenant solve his or her own problem.
This approach may not work with every issue, but with a little creativity, you will be surprised by how often it can resolve tenant conflicts.
Consider Mediation
Consider MediationSometimes, no matter what you try, you and your tenants cannot resolve your issues. As such, it may be worth involving a mediator if you want to try to save the relationship with your tenant. It’s important to note that a mediator isn’t like a judge, as they don’t make decisions. Instead, they help the parties come up with solutions to their problems that both sides can live with.
They may also explain how the law impacts the issues in dispute. Each mediator works differently, but all are committed to remaining neutral and helping people resolve disputes. When looking for a mediator, try to find one with experience in tenant-landlord issues.
If mediation works, you can salvage the tenant relationship and avoid a costly court battle. But if mediation fails, you have not given away any of your rights under the lease, and you will have a clearer idea of what kind of case you have.
Set Firm Limits
Tenants may test you to see how much leeway you will give them. When you allow tenants to constantly test you, you open yourself up to a never-ending series of conflicts over trivial matters.
The best way to avoid many conflicts is to set firm limits. If the lease forbids something, do not make any exceptions. This will help you treat all tenants equally. You take away the chance for a tenant to argue that you made an exception for someone else and should make an exception for them, too. Once tenants learn that you intend to abide by the lease and your policies, they will be less likely to continue to ask for special treatment.
Another way to set firm limits is to establish office hours. You do not have to be available at all hours to deal with every little problem. Give tenants an after-hours number to leave a message in case of emergencies. If you check the messages immediately, you can deal with true emergencies immediately and other issues the next business day during established office hours.
Leave Tenant Conflict Management to the Professionals
When you have a firm plan for preventing and dealing with tenant conflicts, you can inform your renters of what to expect prior to signing the lease. When tenants know what to expect, there will be fewer conflicts in the future.
Need More Advice? contact us today!
Hiring a professional property management company, like Bay Property Management Group, can help ensure fewer tenant conflicts. Our team of dedicated property managers works hard to meet the needs of both tenants and property owners. So, whether you need help managing tenant relations or maintaining your properties, we’ve got it covered. Contact us today to learn more about our services throughout Baltimore, Philadelphia, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC.
