Between a landlord and his tenants, relationships can quickly become complicated. As an owner, several tools can help you anticipate disputes. For example, just by having a rental contract draft for your home, you avoid many problems. And, as far as reasonable, it can be useful to add several specific clauses to it – to do so, ask a real estate agency to make your lease tailor-made. Here is a summary of some practical tips, which can help you to better consider this relationship so that your rentals do not require too much energy.
Define The Rules from The Beginning
To ensure that everything goes well with your tenants, it is generally sufficient to inform them, from your first meeting, of their duties and obligations. Then, when signing the lease, feel free to remind them these rules to ensure that all critical data has been properly taken into account.
For example, even if it may seem obvious, write that rent and charges must be paid on time. As useless as it may seem, it is better to list a few banalities and avoid making tenants believe that they can do whatever they like. When setting out these simple instructions, state that your occupants can fully enjoy the property they are renting, but that they must use it peacefully, without generating nuisances that could disturb the neighbourhood.
In addition to the mandatory steps such as respecting the clauses of the lease and taking out an insurance contract, make it clear to your tenants that they must maintain the place in good condition and carry out minor repairs. In case of a major problem requiring professional intervention (plumbing, electricity, boiler, water heater, etc.), remind them to contact you. When carrying out the inventory, also insist on the fact that the document drafted will serve as a basis for their departure inventory: make them responsible, they will take all the more care of your property.
“Make it clear to your tenants that they must maintain the place in good condition and carry out minor repairs.”
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Rent a Healthy Home and Be Welcoming
A few simple gestures can help you win the hearts of your tenants, and establish a healthy and cordial collaboration. First of all, to avoid them being angry from the start, take care to clean the premises thoroughly and make all the necessary repairs before they settle in. By presenting an apartment or house that is directly habitable, without major defects, you establish a positive relationship with the tenants.
“take care to clean the premises thoroughly and make all the necessary repairs before they settle in.”
In addition, you can provide a file with all the advice specific to your dwelling. Such file becomes essential if you rent furnished and equipped properties, especially regarding the use and maintenance of household appliances. If there are specific instructions to follow regarding the installations (plumbing, circuit breaker, heating programming), include them in this short guide for tenants.
Be Available, But Not Intrusive
When they encounter a problem, your tenants will appreciate to be able to contact you quickly to get the repairs they need. In this sense, you must be available, because though basic tasks are the occupants’ responsibility, major works remain yours.
However, this availability must not be detrimental to tenants. In practice, even if you live nearby, you should not come to see them out of sheer curiosity, this would be a serious mistake. Equally, it is absolutely forbidden to enter the place in their absence, because even if you own the property, your tenants live in it and enjoy it fully as long as they meet their basic obligations.
Maintaining good relationships with tenants is not always easy, especially when rents are late or occupants are negligent about maintenance. To avoid too many problems and to ensure that your investment does not weigh too heavily on your shoulders, you can entrust the management to a specialized real estate agency.
