If you have a Philadelphia rental property and you’re not sure about how to handle tenant communication, things can spiral out of control pretty quickly. There’s a lot of power in professional communication, and if you want to establish a great relationship with tenants, establishing standards and expectations for how you’ll communicate with your residents is important.
Professional communication allows owners to establish expectations, share necessary information, and respond to questions and concerns. It’s essential for good maintenance policies and for tenant satisfaction. With a strong communication plan in place and the type of responsiveness that leaves residents feeling comfortable about sharing concerns, rental property owners can avoid disputes and conflicts and quickly and easily put any problems to rest.
Here are some effective strategies for engaging your Philadelphia tenants.
Upgrade Listening Skills for Better Tenant Communication
Whether it’s a maintenance request or a complaint about a noisy neighbor, tenants need to know that they’re being heard. As a rental property owner focused on professional communication, show those tenants that you’re a good listener.
This can be difficult if you’re in a hurry to solve a problem and move on or if you’re frustrated that a difficult tenant calls you with a new complaint every week. It will help your relationship and your communication goals, however, to listen and understand what your tenant is really trying to tell you.
Tenants need to know you care about them and their experience, especially when something isn’t going right. Hear what they’re saying and be empathetic to what they’re feeling. Even if you cannot fix something right away, letting them know that you understand the inconvenience will help them feel less frustrated. This will prevent conflicts from escalating and it will protect your relationship with your renter.
Invest in Technology for Professional Communication
By investing in technology, we can communicate better with tenants. Everything is integrated; from accounting software to inspection reports and online portals. This allows us to communicate on behalf of our owners, leaving the entire tenant relationship to us.
If you’re not working with a Philadelphia property manager, invest in technology that will help you with communication. Use technology that makes you more available to tenants. Make it easy for them to reach you by phone, email, text message, and on chat platforms. Tenants today want you to show up online and provide the convenience that comes with technology.
Communicating Expectations Leads to Better Results
Always share your expectations with tenants ahead of the move-in date. You want to set them up for success, and you want to make your job easier. Set up a process for communicating with tenants before they even move into the property. Good communication during the leasing process will save money and time.
We recommend that you explain some of the most important parts of the lease agreement to your tenants, allowing them to ask questions and get clarification on anything that might be confusing. Cover essential parts of the lease, including:
- Rent collection policies
- Maintenance reporting procedures
- Rules around guests, smoking, parking, pets, etc.
- Requirements, such as renter’s insurance
Taking the time to talk through these sections of the lease agreement will save time and money later. Everyone will be on the same page, and there will be fewer opportunities for conflicts and disputes. Share those expectations early, and reinforce them often throughout the tenancy. Then, make sure you’re accessible when tenants have questions. This type of communication will contribute to a more pleasant rental experience for everyone.
Communication and Maintenance
Maintenance requires a lot of extra communication, and you’ll want to be sure you have the capacity to provide it.
Tenants expect repairs to be made quickly. When you make communicating about maintenance a priority, you’ll find you have better relationships with your residents. Communicating with your tenants throughout the entire repair process will keep them in the loop and help them understand how long the repair will take or what went wrong to cause it in the first place. This will help you establish and build that trust and it will also leave your tenants feeling like you care about their comfort and the condition of your property.
Communication Improves Tenant Retention
One thing we have learned as Philadelphia property managers is that professional communication leads to tenant retention.
Tenants expect and need communication that’s clear, accurate, and responsive. Ignoring tenants will only lead to turnover and vacancy. Whether they’re calling with a maintenance request or a simple question about what kind of air filters they need or where to find light bulbs for the kitchen – we make sure to be available to those tenants. You’ll want to do the same.
We see ourselves as a resource for tenants, and that means we do not have to wait for tenants to call with a question. We provide information and resources before they’re needed. Give your tenants a quick orientation to the property when they move in. Show them how to set the thermostat and let them know which day trash is collected.
This type of communication keeps tenants satisfied with their rental experience and renewing their lease agreements.
By keeping in touch with our residents, we’re letting them know that we care about their comfort and their rental experience. That kind of attention inspires them to renew their lease agreement and stay in place.
Communicating with Philadelphia Property Managers
You won’t have to communicate with tenants when you work with a Philadelphia property manager.
You do want to communicate with your management team, however.
Your property manager will take care of all tenant communication for you, and the communication will be handled with expertise and professionalism.
We want to keep you informed when you work with us, but we don’t want to saturate you with information. So, we’ll make everything available in your online portal, where you can see rent collection, accounting statements, financial reports, maintenance invoices, inspection reports, and leasing documents.
Let’s talk about your communication needs and those of your tenants. Please contact us at TCS Management.
TCS Management is a full service property management company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also serving Cherry Hill, NJ, Wilmington, Delaware, Nashville, Tennessee and the Atlanta, GA and Charleston, SC metro areas. We focus on single-family and multifamily residential property management of homes, condos, townhomes, and apartment buildings.
