Landlords have a fundamental responsibility to maintain the repair of their properties on behalf of tenants. As a tenant, there is nothing worse than having issues within your home and waiting for your landlord to organise a repair or even recognise the problem. Being a responsive landlord should be a priority because bad reputations can be damaging in the long term.
Why be responsive?
A responsive landlord gives the tenant a sense of confidence in their living arrangement. Reacting quickly and positively can calm a tenant’s worries and alleviate the stress they are feeling because of an issue in their home. A responsive landlord will encourage tenants to stay in the property for longer, as opposed to forcing them to look for another property.
How can you be more responsive?
Firstly, replying quickly or answering the phone when a tenant raises an issue is the best thing you can do. Easing worries or concerns is a fundamental part of your responsibility as a landlord, so developing your ability to do this proactively should be a primary concern for you. Even if you don’t know what the exact issue is or if you need another opinion, giving recognition of the problem and actively trying to tackle it will help the tenant to relax a little more. The absolute worst thing you can do is not reply.
Issues in the home can be troubling and can impact the daily life of a tenant, so making repairs should be done as quick as possible. To avoid waiting for a professional for every job, a good landlord will have an extensive tool kit, range of supplies and basic knowledge of how to do certain repairs that are less complex. For example, owning a comprehensive drill bit set or having a variety of screwdrivers will give you the capacity to solve a number of problems yourself, reducing waiting times for your tenant.
If you can’t fix an issue yourself, being a responsive landlord entails organising a repair as quickly as possible and at the convenience of your tenant. The speed at which the issue should be tackled will depend on the severity of the problem. Something impacting an essential aspect of a tenant’s livelihood, like a broken boiler or toilet, should be handled with extreme vigour. An understanding landlord will gain more respect and trust from a tenant in return.
So, if you want to be a better and more responsive landlord, then consider how you communicate with your tenant and how you react to issues that arise. A better relationship between yourself and your tenant will significantly benefit you in the long term.
