Five Tips from your Atlanta Property Manager on How to Deal With Unreasonable Tenants

Being a landlord or an Atlanta property manager of a rental home has its perks and challenges. On the plus side, it can be a great way to pay off your real estate investment on your property and allow you to obtain good income that can provide long-term financial security. On the flip side however, high maintenance and repair costs can send your earnings dwindling quickly. However, the most troubling of issues involves handling discontented and unreasonable tenants.

Managing tenant relations can become extremely challenging if tenants resort to property damage and mismanagement that can escalate your repair costs. More importantly, it can lead to legal conflicts in the form of lawsuits that have a risk of heavy fines and penalties on landlords. Knowing your tenants are happy with you can be the most satisfying part of being a landlord. Here are five tips from your Atlanta property management company on how you can better manage tenant relations.

1. Refer to the written contract or policy - A conflict between two parties only occurs when one party’s expectations or rights are not fulfilled or misrepresented. In the case of a landlord-tenant conflict, a written tenancy contract’s, or what your property management company calls a lease agreement, defines the terms of a contract and is the best reference point to quell any fires. It is for this reason why any landlord, before providing accommodation to tenants, must always put a lease agreement in writing. Policies on visitors, smoking, pents, and other things must be agreed upon by the potential tenant.
2. Listen to your tenant’s complaints attentively - One of the most important skills in managing human relations is the art of listening. According to the famous book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by author Dale Carnegie, listening attentively and letting the other person do most of the talking can easily help you become a conversational wizard. Listening can be a path to a successful resolution and help you better handle tenant complaints and issues.
3. Do not delay responding to complaints - A landlord or an Atlanta property management company cannot afford to be lazy and unprofessional intheir duties. It is extremely important to respond to your tenant’s complaints within the appropriate time frame, along with quick and regular follow-ups until your tenant’s issues have been resolved. The quicker you are in resolving your tenant’s complaints, the more likely the tenant will be pleased with you as his or her landlord.
4. Show genuine concern - It always helps to actually show genuine concern for your tenants regardless of how unfair the tenant is being. This way, the tenant will feel that his issues are given the property attention and importance, and may even dismiss their complaints because of feeling of being valued. Hence, showing sincere concern to your tenant can go a long way in resolving differences and conflicts.
5. Do not get angry - The biggest mistake you can make as a landlord is to raise your voice to your tenant. Anger never helps in conflict resolution and can further fuel tensions between you and the tenant. Being calm and polite does not necessarily imply you are not firm and don’t have things under control. It means that you do not let emotions cloud your judgment and instead approach problems equitably. Good tenant relations are key to effective property management. On many occasions, having an Atlanta property management company act as your middle man, will remove you a step from your tenants and will allow the property manager to resolve the issue.

By implementing the aforementioned tips, any kind of conflicts between you and the tenant can be resolved fair, quickly and safely. To find more info on rental homes, Atlanta property management and Atlanta property management best practices, please visit our website or call 404-937-1850.

Marina Shlomov, a managing partner at ALH|Podland Realty & Rental Homes Property Management is the author of many articles on Landlording, Property Management, and Real Estate Investing. A residential builder in the state of Georgia since 1999, Marina is an investor herself. Her Atlanta  property management company is intended “For Investors” and “By Investors” for a simple reason – she knows what investors’ goals are and she works hard to reach their goals. In her spare time, Marina likes to spend time with her family, friends, garden, read and travel. Check her out at www.alhpodland.com. You can find Marina’s articles and comments at @rentalhomesatl on Twitter, on Facebook, Google+, Blogger. and YouTube, Bigger Pockets and REI CLub and LinkedIn.