How to Be a Good Landlord

Often, as a landlord, it’s easy to start seeing your tenants as dollar signs, rather than building a lasting relationship with them. But there are many benefits to creating a strong connection with your tenants and having a good reputation.

It will make the different tasks a landlord has to handle such as fixing things around the house run smoother and they’ll be more cooperative when you need them to show the property to potential new tenants at the end of the lease.

If they feel like they can get along with you easily, they’re also more likely to renew even with a rent increase.

Comply with the Legislation

This may seem pretty obvious but there are three types of landlords, the good, the bad and the inexperienced. Whether you have just bought your first rental property or you’ve been a landlord for ages, you need to know what you can and can’t do legally.

This knowledge can keep you safe from potentially disastrous situation.

The legislation covering the rights of tenants and landlords is meant to protect and benefit both parties. It may not be perfect at all times, but it definitely shouldn't be taken lightly.

Besides the obvious benefits of avoiding fines and legal actions, there are other upsides. Most landlords who respect the rights of their tenants succeed in establishing a trusting relationship that isn't based solely on a contract and will have to deal with far fewer problems in the long run.

The ideal outcome for any landlord is to find trustworthy and stable tenants who enjoy living in their rented home (and are thus more likely to do it on a long-term basis). Being respectful of your tenants' basic rights is a massive step towards achieving this.

Filter out the Bad Tenants

Make sure the tenant's income is at least three times higher than the rent you're asking them to pay. Conduct a credit and background check and ask for references from former landlords. Also stay away from tenants with past evictions.

When you have a good tenant, you sleep better at night trusting the rent will be paid on time and the property will remain relatively undamaged. With a bad tenant, however, you’re left wondering about the condition of your investment while trying to deal with angry calls from neighbors.

Begin by inviting every potential tenant to complete an application. You can find samples either online, the local real estate association or you can tweak them to fit your needs and make your own custom application.

Make sure that all you need to know about a tenant is covered in the application you chose. Ideally it should contain financial information, job details, and some personal info.

Make doubly sure that the application clearly indicates that, if necessary, a background check, criminal history report or credit check will be ordered and that the prospective tenant is hereby authorizing you to review his or her financial, employment, and personal background.

Explain the Lease to New Tenants

Make it a point to sit down with every new tenant and go through the contract with them. You want to be certain that they understand what their obligations are and what they have the right to ask from you before they sign.

Be ready to answer their questions and be calm and open if there is anything they don't understand or agree with. You should be willing to negotiate, but you should also protect your own interests and explain the rationale behind any rules your new tenants don't like.

Help the Tenant Adjust to a New Neighborhood

Oftentimes, the tenant is new to the area. Giving them some basic information and advice can help their transition go smoother. Offer them a printout with directions to local grocery stores, pharmacies and other services. This can be obtained directly from online map services.

If you do it once, unless there are major changes to the neighborhood, you can use the same print out for future tenants.

Actually Make Repairs When Asked

When your tenant calls about repairs, agree on a time to come and assess the damage. Legally, it’s up to the landlord to provide their tenants a suitable place to live. There are things that make a house uninhabitable such leaking gas pipes, lack of hot water and moldy walls. If the lack of hot water problem means you have to replace the boiler and you can’t afford to do so on short notice, it’s better to look into rental boilers than have them repair it themselves and deduct it from the rent. In some situations, depending on how much their comfort is impacted by a delay in repairs, tenants can legally withhold rent, pay for the repairs themselves and can even sue you. If they’re angry enough that they decide they can’t wait anymore and take matters into their own hands, you can be sure they won’t be looking at the most cost-effective solutions.

For areas where temperatures drop especially low or become very hot, working air conditioning or heaters also qualify as habitability requirements.

Don’t Visit Without Notice

Unless it's an emergency, you really shouldn't enter the property without the tenant's consent. Otherwise, if you or anyone else needs access, you should inform the tenants at least 24 hours in advance and make sure they're ok with it.

Even if the property is technically yours, the tenants also want to protect the things they keep inside your property and their privacy. Avoiding unannounced visits is not only the legally sound thing to do, but also a professional way of handling your landlord-tenant relationship.

Provide Multiple Ways Your Tenants Can Get in Touch with You

It's perfectly fine to tell them that you have a preference for emails rather than calls but nonetheless, you should give them several avenues depending on the time of day and urgency.

Luckily for you, many tenants also prefer to send an email or a text to picking up the phone and, since that’s the case, it’s better to make a separate account just for this purpose than give them your work or personal email address.