Your tenants must be able to contact you easily when renting a single-family rental property. This is not only perfect for keeping an eye on your precious property, but it can also help you foster a special connection with your tenant. At the same time, there are reasons not to give your tenants your personal phone number and email, not least of which is the temptation for the tenant to abuse the privilege. So, what are the best ways for tenants to contact you? Let’s talk about some of the best methods for tenants to get in touch with their landlords or Cedar Park property owners, as advised by the pros.
Phone and Email
To start with, you should have a dedicated phone line and email for your rental property business. This is valid whether you have one rental property or a dozen. A phone number and email are the most professional option for tenants to talk to you. Having a separate phone and email can ensure that all communications are routed through the proper channels, that communications are documented, and that they are prevented from slipping through the gaps.
Emergency Maintenance Line
Another important communication tool to put into place is an emergency maintenance line your tenants can call after regular office hours. This line should be answered by a live person, not a recording, and it should be clear to the tenant that this is an emergency line only. This will help ensure that tenants only use this line for emergencies and that they understand there may be additional charges for using this service.
Tenant Portal
Establishing a tenant portal is another excellent way to stay in touch with your tenants and guarantee that all communications are sent via the correct channels. A tenant portal is an online system that enables tenants to submit non-emergency maintenance requests, pay rent, and contact you all in one location. A tenant portal is made specifically for property owners and landlords, and most allow you and your tenants to send messages and information back and forth. By employing a tenant portal, you can keep organized and guarantee that all communications are accurately documented.
Social Media
If you are comfortable using social media to promote your rental properties, you may also want to consider using it as a way to communicate with your tenants. This is a fantastic approach to provide tenants with updates on maintenance, changes to the property, or any other crucial information. They can also ask questions and allow you to respond to concerns. If you decide to use social media for tenant communication, be sure to use a private messaging system or private page so that your conversations are not made public.
Set Clear Boundaries
Communicating effectively with tenants may need more than one form of communication. But no matter which options you choose, it’s crucial to set clear ground rules about when and why your tenant should contact you. It would be great if there were clear, pre-determined consequences for tenants who tried to bypass your rules. One of the best things you can do is to model and encourage respectful communication and consistently enforce your boundaries. By being clear about your expectations, you can help ensure that communications with your tenant are appropriate and sent through proper channels.
The bottom line is that no matter what method or combination of methods you choose for tenant communication, it’s important to be professional, consistent, and straightforward. Another great way to handle tenant communications is to hire a professional property management company like Real Property Management All Connect to do it for you. Contact us online to learn more about our tenant portal and other professional property management tools.
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