How to Create A Respectful And Enjoyable Environment As A Property Manager

 

 

Being a good property manager is about more than just finding clients with desirable properties in appealing areas. Today more than ever before, feedback from renters is of paramount importance. If someone is dissatisfied with their renting experience, they won’t simply refrain from renting through you again: they’ll also take their grievances to the social media world, staining your reputation and leading your clients to reconsider trusting you with their properties.

 

Due to this, you need to put in the time and effort to ensure that every renter you deal with has a great experience. That way they’ll be eager to return and say positive things to anyone who’ll listen. But how do you keep renters happy? Well, you need to know how to create a respectful and enjoyable environment. Here are some tips for managing that:

Offer relevant information and services

Even when you’re not dealing with first-time renters, there may well be things that people don’t know about renting, or bad habits they’ve fallen into. It isn’t your responsibility to ensure that they make sensible decisions (and you don’t want to overstep), but you can ensure that they have all the information they need to choose well and protect their interests.

 

In addition to mandatory paperwork, consider leaving each renter (or prospect) a document with up-to-date answers to frequently-asked questions (particularly concerning their legal rights — Citizens Advice has some good tips). Just as you serve as an intermediary between renters and landlords, you can draw upon services like Duuo's solutions for renters and property managers, which provides resources and tools to help property managers, making it easier for renters to get the right tenant insurance coverage. This also benefits you, so it’s a win-win.

Provide various contact options

One of the biggest causes of renter frustration is being unable to get help when it’s needed. If there’s a plumbing emergency, for instance, it might need to be addressed quickly — so having to wait a couple of days for a property manager to get the message and hire a plumber is going to be exceptionally irritating.

 

To avoid this, you should provide renters with various contact options, making sure that they can get hold of you no matter what happens. A phone number, an email address, a social media profile, and even an address (if you’re comfortable volunteering that information). And when someone reaches out to you, get back to them as quickly as you can (even if it’s to say that you can’t deal with something right away), and communicate as clearly as you can.

Keep away unless you’re needed

This might sound like an odd tip, but it’s absolutely critical. Though it’s certainly important for you to be there when people start renting properties, and be there when they need your assistance, it’s just as important to stay away when you’re not needed. When someone is renting property, it should be their private space to enjoy however they like (within reason).

 

If you keep showing up uninvited to check things, or even trying to be too friendly, you’ll put people off. No one wants to deal with a property manager who doesn’t respect boundaries. Once you’re sure that everything important has been covered, show that you trust them by leaving them to live their lives. They’ll hugely appreciate it.