Tips to Handle Resident Complaints?

Question

How Do You Handle Resident Complaints?

Account Closed · Answer

I let my property managers deal with.

I recently had a tenant complain to the property manager about an ant hill in the back yard.  Property manager handed him a can of RAID and told him to deal with it.  I'm sure it would have strained my relationship with the tenant had I been there - especially seeing as I've received two notices from the city over a 6 month period about tall weeds because of his lack of doing yard work.  I think my comment would have been "Stop worrying about the F@%*)g aunt hill and go pull the D@*m weeds" but that's just me.

To me, these things are worth the 10% rent fees I pay property managers.

Bettina F. · Answer

We try our best to keep our apartments in good repair.  But some things, like scratches in the bath tub, are not worth refinishing.  We point these imperfections out to applicants during showing -- the implication being that the apartment is rented "as is".  If they want perfection, they should rent the new construction in town and pay $200 a month more.

We only rent month to month, so it is easy to invoke the "happy clause"  -- we understand that not every rental meets every resident's needs, and if your needs have changed we understand.  We just need 30 days notice before you leave.  This should be said with a straight face and concern in your voice.

When we first bought the building, there was one tenant who could not be made happy.  We finally had to give her a notice of non-renewal and refurbished the unit.  Now we have a nice new unit with a nice new tenant who does not complain.

Roger S. · Answer

Depends on the complaint.  If it's something I need to handle, I handle it.  If it's something ridiculous, I ignore it.   A few months ago, I did a maintenance check on all my house, new smoke alarm batteries, new CH/A filters, hose out the condenser, etc.    About a month later a tenant callas and says its time for another filter.   I told her filters are her responsibility,  change them twice a year to insure they do get changed, and if I caught her running without one, she'd be out.

Thomas S. · Answer

Tell them you will look into it when you get a chance then forget it.

JD Martin · Answer

I send Vinnie out to break some knee caps!

OK, on a serious note: depends on the nature of the complaint. If the tenant contacts us about some deficiency in the unit that falls under our purveyance, i.e. leaking toilet, dead AC compressor, we send someone out to take care of it. If the contact concerns tenant responsibilities, we let them know. If the complaint is about something that we have no jurisdiction whatsoever - noisy neighbors, lots of traffic - we either direct them to whoever has jurisdiction, or tell them that there is no jurisdiction that we are aware of and good luck in the future.

Tips to Handle Resident Complaints?

Most Popular Reply