Tenant complaints are part and parcel of being a landlord. Handling common tenant complaints in a professional manner as a landlord is highly important. Not only will you gain a solid reputation as a landlord, however you will avoid any potential legal issues. Unfortunately landlords are getting sued every day for the smallest of things, so whenever a tenant has a complaint it is best to address it promptly.
In this article I want to highlight 5 common tenant complaints. These tenant complaints are generally for when a tenant first moves in, and many of them can actually be preemptively taken care of if you do things right.
Common Tenant Complaints (1): The Apartment is Dirty
The last thing a tenant wants to do is to move in, and have to clean their place. Moving in can be a tough process, and you don’t want to start things off on the wrong foot.
Be sure to clean the house thoroughly a few days before the tenant moves in, and possibly even hire a cleaning service. Make sure everything is cleaned from the counters to the cupboards to the window sills.
Of course sometimes this isn’t enough. If the tenant is demanding, simply find out where the problem is and then clean it again – even if it has been cleaned previously.
Common Tenant Complaints (2): I Don’t Like the Color of this Room
People can be very particular about colors. Sometimes, a prospective tenant won’t even fully notice the room color until they move in, and then they are unhappy with the paint job.
You can preemptively strike this one by aiming for neutral colors when painting rooms in your property. Instead of going for a blue, green or red color always get your property walls painted in neutral colors like white or off-white.
Common Tenant Complaints (3): Pest Complaints
Unfortunately no matter how clean your property is, or how well-kept it is, you’re bound to have a few complaints about the likes of mice or bugs. This is something that you need to take care of immediately. Call an exterminator to rid the property of any pests, and for safety and your tenants piece of mind schedule a repeat visit a week later to verify that everything is taken care of.
Common Tenant Complaints (4): My Key Doesn’t Work
You’d be surprised how often this happens. Always make sure that you have an extra set of keys handy, and be sure to double and triple-check that the key you are giving the tenant works correctly. If you find that the lock can be a but frustrating to open, consider changing the lock as it is an easy process and makes things easier for the tenant.
You may also wish to change locks every time tenants switch if it is a house, because there is a good chance the past tenants have made copies of their keys.
Common Tenant Complaints (5): ________ Doesn’t Work
Something won’t work – it always happens! Even if you’ve tested the oven and the sink and all the plumbing just the day before – there’s a good chance something will break the same day a tenant moves in. It’s Murphys Law!
Never assume that the tenant was responsible for it breaking – check out the problem immediately, and resolve it for them. If you need a repairman or plumber to come out, keep the tenant informed of when they will be coming, in writing if need be.
All in all, always make sure that your tenant has nothing to worry about in terms of any problems, and that they know they can always rely on you to make sure the problems are resolved in a quick and satisfactory manner.