Tenants are the financial lifeblood of rental properties, without which landlords could not extract a profit from their investment.

That’s why landlords need to put themselves into the shoes of tenants, walking a mile or so to learn just what it takes to put a smile on their face. And this is important. Too often landlords take a relaxed attitude to their property, something that can prove disastrous.

We already looked at a couple of things that good tenants hate. You can find that list here. Now though, we’re going to assess another three essential things that good tenants hate – delving deep into the nuts and bolts of how landlords should treat their tenants.

Ignoring tenants

Tenants, more than anything, hate to be ignored.

It’s one thing taking a long time to deal with a tenant complaint, quite another to actually ignore it. To ignore your tenants is to say you don’t care. It sends an enormously negative message to tenants that they’re not worth your time.

This can lead to, among other things, tenants abandoning the property. If tenants are not taken seriously, they may just leave the property for an alternative. One duty of any landlord should be to reduce tenant vacancy rates, not increase them. Landlords should take note.

Lack of control

Tenants want come degree of ownership over the rental property. They want to know how and why everything works the way it does – from toilets and stoves, to lighting and other electrical equipment. They also need to know what to do when things go wrong.

Many hotels provide a booklet of protocols. These protocols let the occupant know what to do if something goes wrong. It also lets the occupants know how to appropriately operate everything in the room. Similarly, tenants should know what do so.

Good landlords have protocols in place. It may be something as simple as a laminated sheet or two, or perhaps – as with the hotel – a booklet of sorts. Whatever the choice, tenants feel more empowered with their property when they know what to do and how to do it.

Appreciating tenants

Tenants want to feel appreciated. In return, tenants are more likely to show respect not only to the landlord, but also to the rental property.

This comes back to our point about ignoring tenants. Tenants who feel appreciated are less likely to ignore the property. They’re more likely to put in the effort to retain the property to a high standard. This means letting the landlord know of any maintenance difficulties.

Landlords should reciprocate this respect by dealing with tenant concerns as soon as possible. If tenants are experiencing some severe maintenance difficulty, the landlord should make every effort to ameliorate the problem, while informing the tenants of what’s going on.

Tenants who don’t feel appreciated are likely to turn elsewhere. They’re likely to care about the rental property to the same level that the landlord has. The more effort the landlord invests, the more likely the tenant will reciprocate this effort.

Final thoughts

Landlords should make every conceivable effort to help their tenants. Landlords and tenants need to respect one another. This is a two-way street. Yes, the landlord owns the property but with that responsibility also comes obligations.

Landlords are obliged not to ignore tenant concerns, to help tenants feel more comfortable and in control, and to appreciate their tenants. When landlords act in this way, it bolsters the relationship to the point where vacancy turnover rates and maintenance costs are lowered.

Las Vegas property management can deal with all of these concerns. To learn more about what property management can do for you, check out this page for more information.