Owning a rental property involves a lot of responsibilities. As a landlord, you should keep your communication lines open with your renters to ensure that everything is alright.

The good news is that with the availability of advanced technology nowadays, it’s so much easier to connect with tenants. However, the downside to this is landlords need to know which is the best way to communicate with tenants depending on both parties’ preferences.

For instance, landlords need to know when to call a tenant, or simply text them. It’s also crucial to know when to use email as a means of communication. Each method of communication serves a different purpose, and it’s important to learn which type of communication is best for your intended purpose.

In this blog, we at Innovative Property Solutions will discuss the different reasons why you should communicate with tenants, and what are the best methods of communicating to use depending on your purpose.

Phone Calls

Phone calls were among the most common and fastest methods to communicate. But with the availability of text messaging and online chats these days, sometimes a landlord may wonder what situations require a call. Sometimes, situations arise that need live conversation, whether through a phone call or video conference.

Consider calling your tenants for any of the following:

• Emergencies - In case of emergency situations, make sure to contact your tenants as soon as possible. Phone calls are among the most recommended modes of communication during emergency situations.
• Courtesy reminders - You can make quick courtesy calls to make sure tenants are reminded of their obligations and prevent lease violations.
• Asking for more information - If you need to clarify something from your tenants, it’s best to call them rather than send a text message or email. Through this, you’ll be able to ask follow-up questions immediately.

When calling tenants, make sure to keep these best practices in mind:

• Be professional - As soon as the tenant answers your call, state your name and purpose right away. Avoid being too chatty to not waste the tenant's time.
• Call during business hours - Unless it’s an emergency, only call your tenants during regular business hours.
• Call only for business-related reasons - Although landlords should maintain a good relationship with tenants, it’s highly discouraged to call tenants for reasons that are not business-related.
• Leave a detailed voicemail - In case the tenant is not available to talk, make sure to leave a voicemail with complete details about why you are calling. Then ask the tenant to call you back. Make sure to state the best time to call you.

In some states, phone calls may be considered legally binding. However, it’s best to follow up the calls with documentation to back up what was discussed during the conversation. You could send an email to summarize the details of the call for documentation purposes.

Email

The availability of electronic mail (email) makes it more convenient for us to communicate with each other. The best reasons to use email as a means of communication include:

• Sharing visual information - Email is the perfect platform if you need to share pictures, infographics, and other visual information with your tenants.
• Sending notices and reminders - If you need to send formal notices and reminders, email is also one of the best ways to do it. There is property management software that can automatically send email reminders to tenants and if you need to send important notices, you can set a return receipt for emails to ensure that they have read your message.
• Communicating important information - If you need to communicate essential information such as repair progress, new policies, and important announcements, sending emails can save you a lot of time.
• Documenting information - Emails have the date and time stamps of when they were sent and received/read. This is a great way to document your communication.

If you plan to send emails to tenants, make sure to do it with professionalism. State your purpose right away and keep it as short and direct as possible. Make sure to also include your contact information in your email so that tenants will know how to get in touch with you if they need to. Finally, double-check to ensure that necessary attachments are included before hitting send.

It’s worth noting that emails are considered legal documents. However, it’s necessary to check with your state’s law and the city’s local ordinances to see if emails are accepted in court as legal documents for notifications like move-out notices, lease violations, or evictions.

Text Message

Texting tenants has become an acceptable way of communication. It’s easy and quick, and you’re sure that tenants will be able to read the message right away. If you need tenants to get your message immediately, texting them is the best way to do it. Also, texting is better compared to emails because even those who do not have smartphones can receive a message.

Make sure to ask your tenant’s permission first that they allow you to text them. It’s best to include this as an acceptable means of communication in your lease agreement. Let them know when and how often you will text them, and for what reasons. You can also provide guidelines for your tenants on when and for what reason they can text you.

Remember that text messages are not generally considered legally binding. If the messages are that crucial and important, it’s best to make follow-up documentation through an email or hard copies to be signed by the tenant.

Bottom Line

Learning the best ways to communicate with your tenants is vital to running a successful rental property. When tenants feel informed, they’re more likely to rent long-term, resulting in more steady returns.

If you would like help managing your rentals, contact the experts at Innovative Property Solutions today!