Being a landlord is fun until you start receiving complaints from tenants. As a landlord, you want to maintain a good relationship with your tenants because retaining them for the long term will provide a continuous cash flow for your business. However, it’s almost impossible to keep everyone happy all the time, despite your best efforts.
Periodically, you may receive complaints from your tenants about various issues, such as maintenance problems, security concerns, and noise disruptions. Addressing tenant complaints promptly is crucial to ensure that they remain satisfied and continue renting your property.
To help you better understand and address tenant complaints, we at KRS Holdings have compiled a list of the top complaints from renters, along with tips on how to address them!
1. Maintenance Issues
One of the most common tenant complaints made to landlords involves maintenance problems. These can range from minor issues, such as leaky faucets, to significant repair concerns such as a broken HVAC system.
If you fail to respond promptly and address the repair issues, it may lead to bigger problems and even more serious health hazards for residents. Keep in mind that as a landlord, it’s also your duty to ensure that the property remains habitable and complies with the health and safety standard codes.
Therefore, you need to address the complaint as soon as you possibly can. Make sure to visit the property to find the root cause of the problem. Also, keep your renters updated on the actions taken to remedy the issue and the progress of the repair. Note that, if the damage is due to normal wear and tear, landlords should cover the cost of repairs.
Landlords should establish a clear policy regarding rental property maintenance requests from the tenants. This policy should include a detailed plan of action for responding to repair requests, including the timeline for responding to tenant requests, prioritizing repairs based on severity, and what happens if the repairs are not completed within the specified timeframe.
Additionally, employing a reputable contractor to handle repairs can help streamline the process and minimize tenant complaints.
2. Noise Disruption
Noise disruption is another common tenant complaint made frequently by tenants who live in apartments, duplexes, multi-family units, or other housing types where occupants live in close proximity to one another.
Noise from other tenants or neighbors, pets, barking dogs, and high-volume music can disrupt sleep among other activities leading to discomfort, irritation, and eventually conflicts among neighbors.
When you receive this type of complaint, ask the tenant first to talk to the neighbors so they can try to settle the issue among themselves. If the situation is not resolved, then you can get involved and take the next necessary steps.
If the noisy neighbor is also your tenant, talk to them and remind them of the rules regarding excessive noise. However, if the neighbor causing the disturbance is not your tenant, you may try to talk to them too. But if it doesn't work, be prepared to file a formal complaint with the authorities.
3. Pest Infestations
A rental unit infestation is another reason for tenant complaints. Pests of any kind can seriously impact a resident's quality of life, cause damage to personal belongings, and create a health hazard on the property.
To avoid any infestation crisis, landlords need to maintain appropriate sanitation standards and implement regular pest control treatments. If a tenant reports an infestation, a quick remediation plan should be in place to address the problem.
4. Poor Communication
Clear and effective communication is crucial in maintaining a healthy relationship between landlords and tenants. This includes keeping renters informed of lease terms, property rules, rent payments, maintenance schedules, and other updates that may affect their living experience.
Landlords should establish open channels of communication with their tenants, including email, phone, or in-person visits.
To resolve communication issues, landlords should be available and receptive to tenant inquiries and concerns. Ensure all communications are professional and polite and aim to provide solutions while avoiding confrontational behaviors when addressing any conflicts.
5. Unresolved Concerns
It’s frustrating for tenants when they report an issue repeatedly but the landlord fails to address it. Not only will this irritate tenants but it also damages your reputation and increase turnover.
Therefore, you should promptly address problems to show your concern for your tenants and commitment to providing excellent service.
To avoid unresolved issues, make sure to follow up on repair requests and inform tenants of the expected resolution times. Be accountable and acknowledge any failures by apologizing and compensating them where necessary.
6. Privacy Violations
Another prevalent complaint from tenants is the violation of privacy. Rental units represent someone's home and a failure to protect the privacy of residents can lead to legal disputes and major breaches of trust. Examples of privacy violations include unannounced visits and security breaches.
To avoid these complaints:
- Establish clear lease clauses outlining policies regarding privacy invasion in rental homes.
- Provide tenants with reasonable notice before visiting the property and respect residents' privacy rights when entering the house.
- Ensure the rental unit offers security features like adequate locks, alarm systems, and security cameras.
7. Safety Concerns
Tenant safety is a significant issue that requires prompt action from landlords. Ensuring you provide safe premises involves installing smoke detectors, and emergency lighting. Also, you should have adequate policies and procedures to handle health hazards, natural emergencies, and other disasters.
Bottom Line
Tenant complaints are a common part of owning a rental property. When you receive complaints, make sure to listen attentively so you understand the issue before you react. Be proactive when it comes to addressing tenant concerns to minimize further problems.
If you think handling tenant complaints and other issues is too daunting, it's best to hire a professional property management team to take care of the tenants on your behalf. Reach out to our experts at KRS Holdings and we’ll be happy to help!