How good are you are resolving disputes? If you are not all that good then being a landlord might become quite a headache. Chances are that you are going to be faced with quarrels that you need iron out. So here are a few ideas that might help you figure things out with your tenants.
Expect the best, prepare for the worst
Expect that you have good and fair tenants. If you expect that your tenants are going to be irresponsible and unpleasant then you are likely to create issues with them. If you have done your job right and have hand selected great tenants then you may in fact have an easy run with them. If not, have a few tricks up your sleeve to help things a long.
Know the law
If you know the law and what your responsibilities are, and the responsibilities of your tenant, then you will be in a much better position to state your case.
Cool it
Whatever you do you have to remain cool in the heat of the moment. If your tenants are hurling abuse at you, it's best if you don't hurl it back. (No matter how much you may want to.)
Meet and talk
You need to meet face-to-face and talk through the issues. If you have been trading emails, text messages or phone calls you might not be able to sort things out. Some people have a bad phone or email manner. One party may become offended by something that actually wasn't there to begin with.
Bring in a professional
If you have tried talking and it's not working get a 3rd party involved. The 3rd party - a mediator - is likely to be able to get to a resolution quickly, as they have no emotions involved and have no doubt seen the issue before.
Put it in writing
If it's a 'he said-she said' situation you will need a paper trail. As soon as you feel things might be heading south, take notes of conversations - including times, who was involved in the conversation and who said what. If you provide this to your tenant, you might be surprised to see that they back off. If they don't, then you have a lot of information for your mediator.
Wait it out
If the problem arises you might be lucky and they give their notice move out. Just ride out the term and do a much better job at choosing new tenants.
Have you ever had a hard time with your tenants? How did you resolve it.
Hi Anne, having never been a landlord myself, I haven't experienced the joys of dealing with a problem tenant. However, I have noticed that people who do have issues often make the situation worse by acting unprofessionally - loosing their temper, not knowing the law etc. They should take heed of your advice.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with your more Andrew. It's like dealing with any other frustrating situation, if you can take emotion out of it, you are much better off. Thanks for the comment!
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