Establishing good communication lines with your tenants is key to ensure success as a Frederick rental property owner. But with so many options to choose from, how do you know if it’s the right method of communication? It is now very easy for landlords to keep in touch with their tenants thru text, email, and calls. But which is the best option? The answer does not solely depend on which platform keeps your tenants up to date and comfortable. There are financial and legal implications for this.
Texting
Many tenants and property owners love the ease and convenience of texting. For “small talks”, texting is a good way to have your lines of communication open with your tenant. Different messaging platforms are not limited to just text services. Tenants can send photos so you can schedule repairs.
But texting has its limitations. Foremost of which is how to track and save your conversations. As a property owner, be wary of disagreements or legal issues, so be on the safe side and document your conversations with your tenant. All messages with your tenant must be saved from the time you start texting.
Along with saving messages, tenants could abuse this privilege and just text you anytime they like. If you use a personal or business cellphone, some tenants expect to be able to text you anytime they want and get upset when you don’t reply to them right away. These are the issues that you have to be aware of before you use texting as a means to contact your tenants.
Phone Calls
Calling tenants using the phone gives it a personal touch. Nothing compares to hearing a human voice and having a verbal conversation in real-time. By talking to your tenants over the phone, you strongly establish a good working relationship with them and you can communicate your concerns properly. This would result in tenants staying longer in your rental.
Similar to texting, when you use your phone to contact your tenants, you will have a hard time documenting your conversations. Now when disputes regarding liability issues or sensitive information rear their ugly head, it is all the more important that you have a record of your conversation. It would be quite stressful for you to be always ready to answer phone calls from your tenants. But then, if tenants get directed to their landlord’s voicemail all the time, they might get discouraged and stop using the phone to call you in the future.
Email offers a compromise between texting and phone calls. It is a relatively convenient method of communication, as most people use and are comfortable with email. Email solves the problem of documentation since most email programs can save and organize all communications with your tenants for years. Email lets you think thoroughly and write a better response to your tenant’s question or complaint. Plus, you can send documents and attachments through email that are date-and-time stamped. All are essential for this purpose.
But the disadvantage to email is that it’s slow and inconvenient compared to texting, and tenants may not prefer it as much. When people do not use an email that much, you do not get a timely response since your message just sits in their inboxes. Email also makes it difficult to achieve a warm and friendly tone.
You have to remember that communication with your tenants must be frequent, friendly, secure, and properly documented no matter which method you use. Finally, talk with your client and find out which communication method will work best for both of you.
Tenant communication can be a challenging aspect of owning rental properties in Frederick. But Real Property Management Prime can help! We can contact tenants for you and you can be assured that your tenants are well taken care of. You can then free up your schedule and rest easy to get that good night’s sleep. For more information, contact us online or call us at 410-415-1736.
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