Why Landlords Should Respond Promptly to Tenants (And Not Mess Them About)
When a tenant gets in touch, don’t faff about – a prompt response will save you time and money in the long run. A three-minute read.
Picture this: you’re frantically busy at work, scrambling to meet an urgent deadline when your phone pings.
It’s your tenant raising what seems like a pretty minor issue, so you make a mental note to get back to them in a few hours when things calm down.
But time flies, and before you know it, days have passed, and you still haven’t taken action to address the issue raised.
Most landlords will be familiar with this scenario, although you could easily substitute ‘urgent work deadline’ for ‘important family commitment’ or ‘life in general’.
While time management is a challenge for us all, it’s not good practice to drag your heels when addressing tenant concerns.
Here are six reasons why you should always respond to tenants in a timely fashion.
1) Build trust – Ignoring your tenant sends a message that you’re not that bothered – about them or the state of your property. To build a good rapport (one that encourages your tenant to stay long term), you need to be responsive.
2) Nip problems in the bud – Issues like leaks and damp will only get worse (and more expensive to fix) the longer you leave them. Address problems before they escalate into serious repair jobs.
3) Health and safety – It can be difficult to tell if an issue is a minor quibble or a major safety risk unless you investigate. Ignoring a concern or jumping to conclusions without knowing the facts could put your property and your tenant’s safety at risk.
4) Avoid getting fined – Your tenant could be raising a valid issue – one that, if left unaddressed, could land you with a hefty fine from the local authority for breaching health and safety regulations.
5) Insurance – Failing to act on an issue that has been raised could invalidate your insurance and leave you footing the bill after a major incident, such as a burst pipe or fire.
6) Good karma – What goes around comes around. If you ignore a tenant’s texts and emails, what do you think they’ll do when you try to get in touch with them?
In today’s digital world, people expect a quick response day and night. If this 24/7 obligation is too onerous for you, get a letting agent to manage the property – they’ll be the ones on call round-the-clock instead of you.
Get in touch with us here at Shaws Kensington to learn more about our property management services.