Have you managed to get 100% occupancy in all your rental properties? If so, that’s great! But filling your rentals is only half the job.
To enjoy the full benefits of property ownership and leasing, you need to give your tenants a good reason to continue renting your space, especially given the competitive nature of the real estate market.
In this post, we are going over our top tips and tricks to keep your tenants happy!
1. Respond to Maintenance Requests and Issues
Every tenant wants to live in a quality space with appliances and fixtures that are in good condition. A poorly maintained rental space is typically a deal-breaker for most tenants. That’s why unaddressed maintenance requests will chase away a tenant.
To keep renters happy, maintain open communication channels with your tenants at all times. If they have a maintenance or repair request, respond to it as soon as possible. Provide them with a timeline, so they know when they can expect the issue to be resolved.
If the issue is an emergency, handle it immediately so that your tenants can have a positive experience living in your rental.
To minimize the number of maintenance requests, the team at Realevate Specialists recommends that you carry out regular property inspections. This will allow you to detect defects early and reduce the overall replacement and renovation costs.
2. Be a Friendly & Cooperative Landlord
We recommend that, as a landlord, you foster a friendly and cooperative relationship with your tenant.
While the landlord-tenant relationship is contractual, you still want to remain friendly and respectful as this will go a long way to building and cementing your relationship.
By simply being courteous, you may easily solve future misunderstandings.
When a tenant feels as though their landlord is nice and approachable, they’ll be more likely to renew their lease.
3. Offer Amenities
In a competitive property market where each landlord is seeking 100% occupancy, you must seek to stand out. One way to do so is to offer amenities.
Knowing your target tenants’ wants and needs is important.
If your target tenants are college students, here are some of the amenities that will be appreciated:
- High-speed internet
- A smoking zone
- A study area
On the other hand, couples and young families will appreciate different types of amenities, such as:
- Wooden floors
- A well-done kitchen
- A master ensuite bedroom
When you offer the right amenities, your tenants will be happy, and they’ll stay in your unit longer.
4. Treat Tenants Fairly
As a landlord, you must treat all your tenants fairly. No tenant wants to feel as though they are being targeted by you.
You want abide by the California Fair Housing Act when dealing with your tenants. This means that you must treat tenants right, no matter their national origin, color, race, religion, disability, sex, familial status, age, marital status, sexual orientation or gender expression.
By doing this, your tenants will feel respected and happy.
Not to mention, you’ll avoid getting yourself into legal trouble.
Encourage Tenants to Renew their Lease
Now that you know how to keep your tenants happy, they’ll likely want to renew their lease. But, to further encourage them to stay in your unit for another lease term, we recommend making use of incentives.
The options for incentives are endless.
Here are some things you can offer:
- You can choose to forego a month’s rent
- You can offer tickets to a local sports game
- You can suggest a one-time deep cleaning service for free
If these don’t interest them, you can ask them what would make them happy.
Sometimes, even if your tenant is happy, they’ll still need to leave your rental. In such a case, you should begin the advertising process right away. Be sure that your vacant unit is clean, upgraded and maintained so that it’s ready for a new tenant. This will ensure that the new renter begins their stay in your unit satisfied and happy.
Hire a Property Management Company
In order to keep your tenants happy and retain long-term tenants, you’ll need to put in time, effort and invest in resources.
Whether you are a new or seasoned landlord, it this can feel overwhelming and challenging.
That’s why we recommend you hire a professional property manager. At Realevate Specialists, we have the experience and expertise to handle all tenant-related matters.
We provide exceptional property management services throughout San Diego and Temecula. As a full-service property management company, we provide a comprehensive solution to property owners in the region. You can trust in us to safeguard your investment in California real estate, reducing overall costs and ensuring compliance with local and state law.
We also have knowledge of the California landlord-tenant law.
Get in touch with us today and receive a quote for our property management services.
Bottom Line
If you have tenants living in your rental properties, keeping them happy should be one of your top priorities.
Here are some things you can do to keep them satisfied:
- Respond to maintenance and repair requests
- Be friendly and cooperative
- Offer amenities
- Treat them fairly
If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to Realevate Specialists today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
