When it comes to tenant relations, there are few, if any, more\u00a0important skills than\u00a0being able to de-escalate situations with unhappy tenants. And if you have any experience with tenants, you know there will be more than a few\u00a0unhappy ones.<\/p>\n
Whether it’s a maintenance order that’s taken too long (in reality or just in their mind), a late fee they don’t think they should pay, a policy violation they disagree with or an eviction, tenants\u00a0—\u00a0<\/i>at least some tenants\u00a0—\u00a0<\/i>have the tendency to get very, very mad at you.<\/p>\n
The natural human reaction is to get mad at them back or at least to become defensive. The\u00a0natural response is to argue with them and defend your position. If they raise their voice, the natural response to raise your voice in return. If they insult you, the natural response is to at least defend yourself and perhaps go so far as to insult them back. Tit for tat, and on and on it goes. But it’s important to go in the opposite direction of what you’re natural inclinations tell you to do. Don’t become defensive, but actually be empathetic. Don’t raise your voice, but speak more calmly.<\/p>\n
Doing otherwise\u00a0is nothing more than\u00a0escalating the situation.<\/p>\n
With regard to learning this skill, the first place to start is\u00a0Dale Carnegie\u2019s fantastic book\u00a0How to Win Friends and Influence People<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n The key that Dale Carnegie discusses at length is to do the opposite of what feels natural. If they\u2019re mad at you, don\u2019t get defensive and certainly don\u2019t get mad.\u00a0Flip the script and empathize\u00a0with them. I don\u2019t mean to blame yourself or cave in to their demands.\u00a0I’m not recommending\u00a0to be a door mat. This is all a matter of presentation. It’s the how<\/em>, not the what<\/em> that I’m highlighting here.<\/p>\n I merely mean to sympathize with them over the problem. We had a receptionist a few years back who was great at this. Someone would call in angry about a maintenance issue, and she would respond as follows:<\/p>\n \u201cOh no! That\u2019s awful. Let\u2019s make sure to get that taken care of right away. Could you please describe the problem so I can work up a maintenance order?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Or something like that. But notice that she puts us and the tenant on the same team: \u201cLet\u2019s make sure to get that taken care of.\u201d The enemy is the maintenance problem. We are the tenant\u2019s ally. Why would anyone get\u00a0mad at their ally?<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> 6 Things Every Landlord Should Do to Win Over the Hearts of Tenants (A Renter\u2019s Perspective!)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n On another note, it\u2019s important not to fall into the\u00a0temptation of avoiding contact with people who are mad at you. This is also a natural response, but the worst way to deal with a situation. We had a mold issue that was actually rather small, but it blew out of proportion, and we ended up letting the tenants out of their lease because the situation dragged on to the point that the tenants were beside themselves with anger.<\/p>\n Why did they get so angry? Well, the mold issue was part of it, but it was\u00a0resolved relatively easily. The big problem was that our property manager at the time refused to call them back.\u00a0So in the tenant’s\u00a0minds, she might as well have told them she couldn\u2019t care less about them and wouldn\u2019t even care if they\u00a0died of some horrific\u00a0pulmonary disease. In reality, she was just nervous to call because she was embarrassed about the situation. Don\u2019t let that happen to you. Maintain contact even when it\u2019s uncomfortable to do so.<\/p>\n With regard to collections, evictions, deposit refunds and things of that nature, the key is to be fair but firm while also having good documentation. If you can point to the documentation, you can explain why they owe what they owe without blaming or being defensive. These are just the facts. Don\u2019t get mad. Don\u2019t match their tone. Empathize with them.<\/p>\n My brother is now our property manager and has basically mastered this. In some corners of the office he is known as the “Tenant Whisperer” for his uncanny ability to get a tenant who comes into the office steaming mad to leave saying “thank you” with a smile on their face. He does this by being on their side as much as possible. For example, say something like, \u201cI know it\u2019s a tough situation, but this is the amount it costs to do the repairs, and here’s the documentation.\u201d (Again, keep good records.)<\/p>\n Make something other than yourself\u00a0the “enemy.” It could be the lease, the law, company policy or even the owner. But the enemy is certainly not the property manager. No, you as the property manager are the tenant’s ally. So for example: \u201cI appreciate how hard this is; however, we have to follow the lease, and the lease mandates that we charge these expenses. We legally can’t make an exception for one unless we make it for all.\u201d Or perhaps, “I think we can find the best possible outcome given your situation that will fit with what the lease requires\u00a0and the owner will accept.” You are on their team trying to come up with the “best solution” (not necessarily what they want).\u00a0The rules dictated by the lease, law, policy or owner are the “enemy” in this situation.<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Why Good Maintenance is the Best Way to Retain Tenants<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nFair But Firm<\/h2>\n
Be Your Tenant’s Ally<\/h2>\n