How to Build a Healthy Landlord-Tenant Relationship

Whether you’re a landlord for a new tenant or one you’ve had for ages, it is always helpful to ensure that your relationship is a healthy one. Unhealthy relationships between landlords and tenants lead to unnecessary conflict and hostility which only makes resolving issues more difficult for the both of you! It is wise to keep interactions as positive as you can. Here are the best methods you can use to build a healthy landlord-tenant relationship.

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Mutual Respect

For starters, mutual respect is going to help you build a healthy landlord-tenant relationship, whether you’re building from the ground up or not. Of course, this does rely on your tenant as well, but you can initiate it. Your tenant will not show you respect if you treat them poorly. Instead, treat your tenant with respect, welcome them, be kind to them, listen to their needs and complaints, do not look down on them in any way, and give them no reason to be hostile towards you.

Even if the tenant does not seem like someone whose company you would enjoy, that is irrelevant. This is a professional relationship, you do not have to spend time with them outside of your landlord responsibilities. By being professional and courteous towards them, your tenant will treat you the same way.

Respect Privacy

Another form of respect is respecting the privacy of your tenants. Privacy is incredibly essential when it comes to handling landlord-tenant relationships. In order to build a healthy one, you should not be abusing your power as a landlord and disrespecting your tenants’ privacy. For example, always inform your tenants ahead of time if you will need to enter their rental to do work, or only do work when they are home. Never enter their home without prior knowledge or consent. If there are cameras on or in the property, do not use them to spy on your tenants. This way, they do not have to stress about you entering at any time, nor are they concerned when it seems like something has moved while they were away.

Open Communication

For any type of relationship–romantic, platonic, and of course professional–open communication is always one of the most important keys to ensuring that the relationship is healthy. As a landlord, your open communication needs to include a few important aspects.

For one, open communication means you are available for your tenant to contact if need be, whether it’s through text, email, a phone call, or in person. Understandably, life comes up and you may not be accessible 24/7, but days should not pass by with a tenant unable to reach you, at least without prior warning.

Next, you need to be willing to listen to your tenant. If they have some kind of complaint, you need to be willing to hear them out, even if it seems like something minor to you. You cannot have open communication by simply writing off someone’s concerns, and it will hinder your relationship. This could be a noise complaint, a bug issue, a broken appliance, or more. You should also be open to compromising with them if one month they are running late on rent, even though they have paid on time for the many months prior.

You also have to communicate clearly with your tenant, so there are no misunderstandings. Choose your wording carefully, especially over text or email as your tenant cannot hear your tone of voice. In addition to this, set your boundaries when it comes to communication. Define emergencies so they do not say there is one when it is something small, and if they start texting you too much, give specific office hours they can contact you during, unless there is a true emergency.

Stay True to Your Word

Another helpful way to build a healthy landlord-tenant relationship is by staying true to your word. If you say you will fix something, fix it. If you promise to increase security, do so. Resolve issues as promised, or bring them up to your tenant before they even say something so that the quality of everyone’s lives can be increased, yours included. Not only that, but it should be done promptly. If you leave so many empty or broken promises lying around, your relationship with your tenant will start to disintegrate as they lose faith and trust in you.

If you keep the property in good shape, the tenant will see how much you care about it and, in turn, them, which will help foster this positive relationship.

Sometimes tenants can be unpredictable, but by following these steps, you will build a healthy relationship with your tenant that contains less friction and hostility than you may be used to. You are now on the way to increased respect and happiness throughout your properties.