Taking care of your tenants is important if you own a rental property. After all, they are the major source of your income, so it’s crucial to ensure that your tenants are happy with your rental property and services. One of the most crucial aspects of being a landlord is knowing how to retain tenants.
If you encourage good tenants to renew their leases and retain them for the long term, you will enjoy the benefit of earning continuous income. You also won’t have to go through the hassle of advertising your property and finding new tenants every time the lease term ends.
To ensure that tenants are satisfied with their stay, it’s important to communicate with them regularly.
However, it can be hard to know what method of communication is best to use for different circumstances. Thankfully, Keyrenter Premier has a breakdown of the pros and cons of each way to contact your tenants.
What’s the Best Communication Method to Use?
In general, the best method for communicating with tenants will depend on several factors, such as the following:
- Reason for communicating with tenants: When deciding which communication method to use when reaching out to tenants, it’s important to determine the reason why you need to get in touch with them in the first place.
- How urgent your purpose is: If the need for reaching out to your tenants is an emergency, particularly if it is because the rental property isn’t safe, you must get through to them as soon as possible. Usually, you would call in the case of an emergency. Sending a text message or an email during an emergency does not guarantee that the recipient will be able to read the message right away.
- Your tenants’ personal preferences: There are some people who do not want to receive calls at all—so unless it’s an emergency, do not call your tenants if they specifically say that they prefer to receive text messages instead. Some tenants, on the other hand, prefer to communicate through phone calls because they want to receive or give a response or feedback right away.
Make sure to ask your tenants what methods of communication they prefer, especially for non-emergency purposes. In some cases, your preferred communication method may differ from that of your tenants’ preferences. It’s best to reach a mutual agreement and include this in your lease contract.
When Should You Call Your Tenants?
If the reason for your communication needs a live conversation, a phone call is the best way to go. Make sure to call your tenants for the following reasons, even if you reach their voicemail:
- Emergency or urgent reasons: As mentioned, if the reason for your need to communicate with the tenants is considered an emergency, then it’s best to call them right away. If you fail to reach them via phone, text and email them right away. You should also have an emergency contact number in case you cannot reach the tenants’ personal phone number.
- Courtesy reminders: It’s also good to send your tenants an email for friendly reminders on important issues, including rent due dates. This helps prevent lease violations and the need to send formal notices.
- If you need to ask for more information: If there are things that you don’t understand and you need to seek clarity from tenants, it’s best to give them a call to avoid miscommunication.
It’s important to remember the proper protocols for calling tenants. Unless it’s an emergency, make sure to call them during reasonable hours. Be professional and direct, yet keep the friendliness in your tone. Also, if you reach their voicemails, make sure to leave a complete message, including the reason why you are calling, and ask them to call you back.
In most cases, phone calls are not considered legally binding. Make sure to follow up on what you have agreed during the call with proper documentation.
When Should You Send an Email to Your Tenants?
Another convenient tool to use when communicating with tenants is email. You can opt to send an email for the following reasons:
- If you need to send an attachment: If you need to share visual information, like brochures and pictures, sending an email is the best way to go. You may also send an advance copy of the lease agreement through email because this is a great tool for storing important documentation.
- Sending important reminders: You may follow up your friendly reminders with an email for documentation purposes.
- Communicate important information: If you need to inform tenants of important changes in lease agreements, or you need to update them on the progress of their maintenance requests, sending an email is the best way to go.
When sending an email, make sure to draft and review your emails carefully to avoid errors, grammar mistakes, and missing attachments. Keep your email concise and direct to the point, with complete information. Be sure to add your contact information in case the tenants need to reach out to you via phone.
Generally, emails are considered a legal form of communication. However, it’s best to also send a printed letter for important notices and contracts to ensure that they are binding.
When Should You Send a Text Message to Tenants?
If your message is short and you need tenants to receive it right away, sending a text message may be more beneficial. Plus, a text message can be received by tenants who don’t have a smartphone or those who are not connected to the internet. There’s also a high possibility that your tenants will acknowledge and respond to your message as soon as possible.
It’s essential to get your tenants’ permission first before you start messaging them via text. Make sure that you’ll only use this form of communication for non-formal notices, such as friendly reminders and other quick updates.
Keep in mind that while text messages may be considered a legal form of communication, it’s recommended to follow up with proper documentation to ensure that everything you agreed with is binding.
Conclusion
When choosing what method of communication to use, make sure to have an agreement with your tenants so you’re both comfortable. Consider the factors mentioned above to help you make the right choice.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the property management experts at Keyrenter Premier!