How to Deal with a Troublesome Tenant
Being a landlord can be a rewarding experience that allows you to practice your business savvy while also being able to flex your interpersonal skills with different people every day. But having a troublesome tenant or multiple tenants can make property management a tough task.
From late rent payments to raucous behavior to consistent complaints by other tenants, having just one resident who causes issues can be a burden, and could have a potential negative impact on the success of your property. Before things get out of hand, it’s best to get the right tips to keep the stress of a troublesome tenant low. Here are some ways to deal with unruly residents.
Get Insured
Apartment insurance isn’t just something that tenants get to cover holes in the walls or stolen televisions. Apartment Building Insurance is something that landlords can invest in to protect their properties and their reputations. Apartment building insurance is a fully comprehensive policy that offers landlords the safety they need to keep their buildings protected when tenants get out of hand with messes, mishaps and more.
Get Everything in Writing
Zillow suggests writing everything down to pad your proof of what tenants have done to the property and what they were responsible for. This is a vital step as documenting your policies and procedures for handling tenant complaints will outline everything from response times to warnings to notices.
Document all interactions with your tenant and take down notes on phone calls and conversations you have with them to make sure all bases are covered. Late payment? Write it down. Maintenance requests? Keep it documented.
Be Calm and Objective
When a tenant gets out of hand or causes damage to your building it’s easy to get caught up in emotions, but this won’t help the matter. Make sure to keep a cool head and gather your thoughts before talking to tenants about the problems they’re causing. Tenants are more receptive to what you tell them if you are more gathered and composed.
Be Communicative and Agreeable
It’s a good rule of thumb to not only keep a cool head but show overwhelming kindness and patience, no matter how hard it may be. This strategy can be used to calm the situation down and open a conversation rather than finger pointing. While this method can be very tough at times, especially with the more difficult tenants, it can help to build a relationship with your tenants.
Ask Tenants to Leave
This is never the most ideal option, but sometimes it’s the best thing to do for not only your property but the other tenants who may be sharing walls. While this may be a difficult task to undergo, it isn’t an impossible feat. Send them a written notice (again, documentation is important) to vacate and be clear in your reasoning. Also, this would be a good time to have proof ready that you tried to work with them on previous complaints and notices.
About Byrnes Agency
At Byrnes Agency, we offer insurance solutions that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for personal policies or commercial coverage, we have the right coverage for you. To learn more about our products, contact us today at one of our two locations.
If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read here and would like to know when we’ve published a new blog post, please “like” us on our Facebook page, and share this with your Connecticut neighbors.
Phone: (860) 774-8549
394 Lake Rd
Dayville, CT 06241
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Phone: (860) 886-5498
6 Consumers Avenue
Norwich, CT 06360
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Tags: Apartment Building Insurance, Byrnes Agency, Dealing with Troublesome Tenants, Landlord disputes, Rental Property Insurance, Tenant Disputes