The relationship between landlord and tenant serves as the heart of renting out property and requires effort from both sides to stay positive and fulfilling. Aaron Schlossberg, a New York attorney with a deep understanding of tenant-landlord disputes, has a comprehensive knowledge of the challenges facing landlords. However, landlords have options when they want to improve and maintain positive relationships with their tenants. Even minor adjustments to their mindset can revolutionize the nature of their relationship with residents.
Choosing The Right Tenants For Your Property
Healthy, positive relationships between landlords and tenants begin with the selection process. Aaron Schlossberg believes landlords can save themselves future stress and concern when they carefully assess potential tenants. Leasing rental property means taking a risk, but different factors minimize that uncertainty. By learning more about a tenant’s background, business, renting history, and criteria for rental property, a landlord has a clearer picture of a professional relationship with the prospective tenant. This initial appraisal is invaluable.
Creating Mutual Understanding Through Set Expectations
To Aaron Schlossberg, the next crucial step in establishing a solid foundation in tenant-landlord relationships involves setting expectations on both sides. Addressing respective visions, values and expectations start the relationship on a positive note. Each lease will have different parameters the tenant must follow, but expectations go beyond the rules of the contract. They also include establishing both party’s unique styles for handling problems that arise. Landlords can ease their tenants’ future stress by clearly explaining the protocol for communication.
Prioritizing Communication With Your Tenants
Communication can make or break a landlord’s relationship with their tenants. Not only is it important to encourage open communication, but Aaron Schlossberg asserts that a landlord can best serve their tenants by offering several channels through which tenants can reach them. If a problem or emergency occurs, the tenant should know exactly how to contact the landlord, whether through a tenant portal, a direct phone call, or email.
Landlords can also foster healthy business relationships by being transparent and honest in their contact with tenants. For example, in cases of emergency or maintenance, landlords can clarify to tenants early on, before an incident happens, how soon they can expect a response. In addition, if a landlord needs to warn tenants about an event, construction, or other news, letting them know through a phone call, text, or email in addition to posting a written notice demonstrates a level of care tenants sincerely appreciate.
Developing A Customer-Focused Outlook
When landlords adopt a service-oriented mindset, they improve their reputation, gain loyal renters, and show they care about their tenants. With this line of thinking, the rental property becomes a quality product that landlords provide their tenants. According to Forbes, taking pride in your property attracts “the best tenants who do not want to move. The longer the tenant stays, the better your ROI.”
Taking care of tenants can include a variety of actions, but Aaron Schlossberg asserts that the following are key:
- Keeping an eye on the property’s condition yourself
- Thinking about how you can improve the property to make your renter’s life more functional, comfortable, and safe
- Updating your property when you can
- Handling even minor repairs with efficiency and professionalism
Treating Tenants With The Respect They Deserve
The dynamic between landlords and tenants thrives when they trust each other, and the best way to build trust with tenants is respect. While renting property for commercial or domestic use works as a business, landlords actually profit when they treat their renters with professional compassion. When landlords approach their tenants as real people with an emotional attachment to their rented space, they often make firm, fair, and thoughtful decisions that ultimately benefit everyone involved.
Rent hikes offer a great example of a common occurrence that can put stress on landlord-tenant relationships. Landlords show respect to their tenants by giving them plenty of notice and explaining the reasons behind the rent increase. That way, renters won’t feel blindsided, and they have time to assess their options if necessary.
How Aaron Schlossberg Considers Landlords’ Energy Well Spent
With domestic renters making up around 36% of the population in the United States, the well-being of tenants and landlords matters. The relationship goes both ways, but landlords accomplish an incredible feat by establishing the tone of the first meeting’s connection. Balancing the business and human sides of tenant-landlord interactions can ease potential stress, build trust and increase overall profit. When the two parties meet each other’s needs through effective communication, situations can hopefully turn out for the best.