Dealing with bad tenants or at least identifying how to handle them is part of being a landlord. You’ll discover that some tenants change over time despite thorough screening techniques, best efforts, and laying down the rules firmly at move in.
Bear in mind that these tenants seemed fine during move in and passed the screening tests only to become troublesome down the line.
Aside from late payments, a bad tenant can damage your property and engage in criminal activity. Therefore, it’s important you identify the right ways of handling tenant issues using this guide.
Document Everything
One way to avoid conflict is to maintain written records. Although this will increase your workload slightly, it will also reduce the likelihood of a tenant trying to dispute charges. Therefore, a comprehensive lease is essential.
Bear in mind that while standardized leases are extremely beneficial, they won’t consider your policies that are somewhat different or any of the distinct amenities, features or unique needs of the property you’re managing.
For this reason, it’s best you tailor every lease agreement to mirror in detail where your policies vary from the standard lease, and any expectations or rules specific to the rental property.
Maintain Professionalism
Dealing with bad tenants can elicit strong emotions because it’s stressful, frustrating, and can strain your finances. Therefore, you might be tempted to unleash your pent-up emotions on the tenant.
Make sure emotions don’t cloud your thoughts when talking to the tenants concerning the issues they’re causing. Furthermore, don’t engage in a confrontation that isn’t relevant to the current problem.
Instead, talk to the tenant about the issue and never involve other parties into the confrontation unless it’s absolutely necessary.
If necessary, take some time to calm down or sleep on the issue before taking immediate action. You’ll find that tenants tend to be more receptive if you come across as tactful and collected.
Know When to Compromise and When to Stand Firm
At times, you simply need to trust your instinct and decide when a tenant is being sincere or deceiving you. For instance, if a formerly dependable tenant is struggling to meet the rental payments, he or she is probably experiencing short-term financial issues.
In this instance, giving the tenant time to get his or her finances in order can be a much better option than issuing an eviction notice.
Consider a Property Manager
Regardless of how much you try to please some tenants, you’ll find that they’re just difficult to deal with. When that occurs, it may be prudent to engage the services of a property manager. Doing so will not only free up your time but also alleviate the associated stress.
A manager who is skilled in resolving conflicts and proactive in problem solving, will be in a position to diffuse tenant issues before things worsen.
Another benefit of these professionals is that they’re familiar with the laws about handling tenants and know the strategy that will generate the best outcome.
Final Thoughts
If you are in the real estate business, you’ll undoubtedly encounter bad tenants at some point regardless of your screening process and savvy strategies. Beware that bad tenants can make your role very difficult if you don’t know how to handle them. Fortunately, these tips are a great place to start.
For more information on how to deal with bad tenants, contact us at Apartment Agents or leave a comment.