Keeping Tenants From Becoming Dissatisfied

As a Chicago property management company we strive to make our tenant's renting experience with us a pleasant one.  Renting should be a positive experience and a lot of times the way a landlord or property management company deals with situations will dictate how a tenant feels about their renting experience. Difficult or disgruntled tenants are typically not difficult immediately upon moving in, but a lot of times they can become difficult if their living experience is less than desirable.  How does a landlord or property management company handle dealing with difficult tenants and most importantly, how does a landlord or property management company keep tenants from becoming difficult tenants? Here are a few of our tips on keeping tenants from becoming dissatisfied:

1- Always stay professional: When a tenant comes to you, their landlord or property management company, with an issue they are looking to you for advice and for help.  Every issue a tenant brings your way is another chance you have as a property management company to truly shine and show your professionalism.  Conduct yourself and your business in a professional manner at all costs necessary giving tenants wonderful customer care and service.

2- Empathize with tenants: Tenants want to feel like their landlord and property management company understand their issues and concerns.  Empathizing with tenants gives you as the landlord or property management company a better perspective and understanding of what the tenant is feeling in regards to an issue they are facing.  Tenants want to know that their landlord or property management company understands their issues and concerns and is willing to help.

3- Do what you say you are going to do: When a tenant goes to their landlord or property management company with an issue, they expect a resolution for the issue.  They don't expect you to fix the issue in a week, two months or a year from now, they are usually looking for an immediate fix.  Maybe you can't jump on the issue right away and fix it, but you can give your tenant an estimate as to when you will be able to fix the issue. What you say you are going to do and what you actually do need to follow one another closely.  Promising a tenant something and never doing it is a surefire way to make a tenant angry.

4- Resolve issues: When a tenant presents you with an issue, figure out what kind of outcome the tenant is looking for and do your best to get as close as you can to their picture perfect resolution. When you think you have come up with a good solution for the tenant's issue, ask them what they think about your resolution plan and do your best to resolve the issue.

5- Getting past the issue: Once an issue with a tenant has been dealt with and resolved, do your best to move forward from the issue.  There's no sense dwelling on an issue or an unpleasant experience with a tenant, in fact dwelling may make the relationship between you and the tenant worse in the long run.  You best bet is to move forward from the issue and let go of any negative thoughts or feelings to ensure that you can work with the tenant in the future.

Looking for tips on keeping tenants from becoming dissatisfied or have a few tips of your own?  Feel free to leave us comments below or contact us.

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Reasons Why Residents Renew the Lease or Not Renew the Lease

As a Chicago property management company, we know that a big part of the longevity of a property management company is the tenants a property management company has.  For years property management companies have been striving to find creative ways to maintain tenants.  Whether it was incentive programs, resident events or rental perks, it has been done, but has it worked?  Have incentive programs, resident events and rental perks really kept tenants occupying their space?  Not necessarily.  Sure it has probably worked for some, but not for all.  What makes or breaks whether a tenant renews the lease?  And what causes tenants not to renew the lease?  Here are a couple reasons why tenants renew or not renew the lease:

1- Safety of the building: Who doesn't want to feel safe in the place that they live or work?  One of the key factors facing whether a tenant renews the lease or not has to do with the safety of the rental space.  Studies show that if tenants feel their building or space is safe they are more likely to renew the lease. Safety can come in the form of a doorman in the building or a well-lit building or area.  Outside of typical security features, tenants also want to see that the space they are renting is as safe as possible.  The windows should be relatively new and have a solid locking system.  The door should have a good locking system, which may mean the door requires not just a key, but perhaps utilizes a chain as well.  On the flip side, if a tenant feels that the rental they have been occupying is not safe they will probably look elsewhere to take up residence.

2- Quality maintenance: Quality maintenance services are probably the most pivotal reason why a tenant will renew the lease or not renew the lease.  Quality maintenance services typically revolve around service requests.  Service requests should be fulfilled in the correct order that they come in to the office.  Whether the service request comes in the form or an email, call or the resident stopping by the main office, the resident has a need they are looking to have filled by the landlord or property management company.  This is when the office team needs to step in and provide quality maintenance services.  How the office team handles the requests and fills the need of the tenant will make or break the tenant's satisfaction with the building, landlord and property management company.  To prepare, the staff should be familiar with most common issues associated with the rental property and know what questions to ask tenants regarding the problem or issue they are experiencing.  Most office staff should be able to verbally walk the tenant through solving the issue and if need be get the tenant the proper help to fix the issue.  Tenants simply want to know that their issue will be resolved in a timely, efficient matter and that the landlord, staff and property management company supports them and will get the issue solved.  Odds are if tenants feel they are receiving quality maintenance services and care from the property management company, landlord and staff they will want to continue renting their space instead of looking elsewhere.

3- Good customer service: Customer service is key to keeping tenants satisfied and renting.  Similar to receiving quality maintenance services, tenants want to feel that they can approach their landlord, property management company and building staff with any comment or questions, so the lines of communication need to continually stay open.  Tenants want to feel like they're appreciated and that the landlord, building staff and property management company care.  Giving quality customer service to tenants is another way to ensure that a resident will renew the lease, rather than not renew the lease due to poor customer service.

A major part of whether a tenant renews their lease or does not renew their leases hinges around how safe they feel their rental space and building are, quality maintenance and good customer service.  This means a property management company, landlord and staff need to stay on top of the ball and make sure all tenants are being cared for properly.  If you have comments or questions on anything property management related, feel free to comment below or contact us.

Property Management Pest Control Tips

Property management companies, landlords and tenants are all looking to avoid the same thing from happening to their property-- an insect invasion.  As a Chicago property management company, we know how important it is to keep insects out of all of our properties.  Whether you're a condo management company, retail management company, or an industrial property management company, it is important to take precautions to keep bugs out.  Here are a few tips on keeping insects out of your properties:

1- Clean out the gutters:  When was the last time you cleaned out your property's gutters?  If you know it has been awhile, consider doing a thorough cleaning of your property's gutters.  Mosquitos look for standing, stagnant water as that is where they breed, so keeping the gutters clean leaves no where for them to lay their eggs keeping them away from your property.

2- Utilize screens: If you are a tenant with a property that currently does not utilize screens for your doors and windows, we recommend speaking with your property management company or landlord to see if they would install some screens for the doors and windows.  Screens let air in, but help to keep bugs out.

3- Sealing cracks:  Sealing any cracks around windows and doors is another great way to prevent bugs from invading your property.  Do a thorough inspection of your property's windows and doors and see if there are any cracks that need to be filled in.  Roaches and other bugs are good at squeezing through cracks and small openings, so make sure all of the points of entrance are filled in.

4- Be careful where you put mulch:  Try to keep mulch at least 12-15 inches away from the foundation of your property.  Mulch can harbor mosquitos, ants and other bugs, which gives easy access to the inside of your property.  Keeping mulch away from the foundation will make it harder for insects to enter your property.

5- Take out trash frequently: It may seem like a no-brainer, but trash is a big contributor to insect issues for any home or property, so take out the trash frequently.  Make sure bags are tied tightly and any containers used should be cleaned out throughly and often.

If you are a property manager, property management company or tenant looking for more tips on keeping insects out of your properties?  Feel free to leave a comment below or contact us.

Tenant Relations

As a Chicago Property Manager, undoubtedly, one of the most important parts of the job is customer service.  All property managers should strive for smooth relationships with tenants.  It’s important that as a property manager you are always sharpening your customer service skills to attract new tenants, satisfy the needs of current tenants, and create positive buzz around yourself.  Tenants will talk, so give them something good to say about you and your property management service.

Being a property management company can be trying at times as occasionally property managers face delinquent payments, evictions, or other troubling circumstances.  Here are our tips on creating smooth, positive tenant relations:

(1) Documentation: Always create a paper trail because you will never know when you need it.  Even simple issues can end up badly without documentation to rely on.  Documenting is extra support for you and really for the tenant too.  Documentation should be done for rent checks and other payments (scan and file copies), maintenance checklists, copies of complaints filed by tenants, notices served/actions taken against tenants, and any police reports or legal documents.

(2) Address complaints quickly: In our opinion, the best way to show your tenants than you value them is to address any complaint they file promptly.  Encourage your tenants to come to you with any issue no matter how big or small.  Show them that you care and make them feel comfortable. With every complaint do some digging to understand the origin of the complaint and really investigate each story.  Be compassionate towards tenants and let them know what you are doing to fix the problem and let them know when the problem has been resolved.

(3) Hone customer service skills: Put on your customer service hat!  Great customer service is the best way to keep tenants happy.  Good customer service is a sure fire way to keep more and more tenants coming in the door as well.  Train your staff on good customer service and make sure to go over phone manners, in-person conversation and overall manners and courtesy.  Good customer service can be the defining point for keeping current tenants and getting new tenants. 

(4) Give tenants something to talk about:  Keeping tenants happy is a huge goal for property managers, so give tenants something to talk about.  Consider offering some kind of incentive program to keep current tenants happy and bring new tenants in.  Move-in specials, lower deposits, gift cards, a lease renewal special can all be viewed favorably in the eyes of tenants. 

(5) Be willing to take suggestions: As a property management company, one of your biggest jobs is keeping tenants happy, so be willing to take suggestions from tenants on ways to improve.  Suggestions from tenants are great because tenants know what a unit is missing that could make it more desirable to other tenants.  This becomes important when you are looking to take in new tenants.

If you’re looking for more tips on creating positive relationships with tenants, feel free to comment below or contact us.  

Increase the Value of Your Rental Property

If you have been feeling like your rental property is not as aesthetically appealing as you would like for it to be, you have options.  Simple fixes and tweaks to your rental property can certainly enhance your property.  Whether you're a property management company, landlord, or tenant, simple fixes can greatly up your rental property's appeal no matter what your budget is.  Here are a couple changes you can make to increase the value of your rental property:

Paint:

A fresh coat of paint can drastically change the look and feel of your rental property.  Painting can be a relatively inexpensive way to update a room.  Check close-out stores which typically have a decent selection of basic interior and exterior colors at lower than average prices.  To cut costs on painting, purchase flat or semi-glosses finishes over high-gloss.  High-gloss paints typically require more coats, which is not necessary for sprucing up your rental property.

New Windows:

If you have windows on your rental property that are in need of an update, consider installing storm windows over the pre-existing ones instead.  If you're a pretty handy renter, property management company, tenant or landlord you may be able to install the storm windows by screwing the tracks into the frame.  Aside from the windows themselves, you should also consider putting in some sort of blinds or window covers.  While some renters may not want window covers, they are easy to remove if unwanted.  When it comes to window covers there are quite a few options such as venetian blinds (which can be difficult to clean and tend to break easily) or stained-glass appliques (which provide privacy and go on and come off very easily).  You could always put up shades or curtains, which may be the best route.

Kitchen & Bathroom Remodel:

It is said that the kitchen and bathroom are the two most important rooms in a homeowners house.  Putting a little time and some money into a rental property's kitchen and bathroom can greatly increase the value of your rental property.  Again, close-out stores are excellent resources for discounted flooring and other material needed for a remodel.   If you are in need of some relatively new appliances and obviously don't want to break the bank, you could consider checking the scratch and dent departments. Scratch and dent departments feature brand new appliances sold at a hefty discount due to minimal damage, hence scratch and dent.  It's not a bad idea since you're getting a fully functioning appliance at a fraction of the cost.  Second-hand appliance stores may also be worth checking out.

Clean-up:

Sometimes the best and cheapest way to beautiful a rental property is by giving it a good, top to bottom, cleaning.  Maybe the walls don't need fresh paint after all.  Perhaps they just need a good wipe down.  Over the years, dirt and debris can collect on your walls, so dingy paint may just be dingy from dust.  Your rental property will probably require deep cleaning and some parts of the property may require much deeper cleaning than other parts.  You may want to do a little research on great cleaning products that will really get the job done.

Landscaping:

Beautify your rental property's outdoor space by doing some basic planting.  Doing a little landscaping will give your rental property great curb appeal and is worth some seasonal maintenance.  Don't let your rental property's yard be bare.  Flowers, such as Pansies, are great to plant as they can survive a frost.  Tulips and Day Lilies are cost effective and come back every year, which is great in terms on maintenance in the long run.  Put in plants that will enhance your rental property's outdoor beauty, but will require little effort in terms of maintenance.

Whether your the renter, or a property management company, tenant or landlord, lots of little improvements can be made to make a house look more like a home.  For more tips on improving your rental property, comment below or contact us.

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Property Management Tips

Property Management Tips: Staying Ahead of Maintenence

Whole volumes could be written about the difference between “damage” and “wear and tear;” but every landlord knows that tenants can be hard on a rental property. Most landlords have walked into a rental unit for a move-out inspection and been shocked at the damage they discover.

Don’t fall into the habit of performing all damage repairs and maintenance when you’re between tenants. Granted, that’s the best time to clean carpets, repair floors, and replace appliances. But it’s too easy to feel pressured if your tenant is anxious to move in. That’s when small problems and repairs will be neglected.

Conducting periodic inspections and continually maintaining your rental property is the only way to stay ahead of the game—and protect its value. The old adage, “a stitch in time saves nine,” has never been so true. Repair expenses just keep rising; between labor costs and materials, you’re definitely going to be better off fixing a problem while it’s small.

Keep these repair supplies in your vehicle to take care of issues while they’re manageable:

• Hinges and latches (standard sizes and colors for all your rental unit will make this easier) 
• Paint and brushes or shoe-polish-like applicators 
• Floor scratch cover 
• Rhino Glue 
• Duct Tap 
• Spackle 
• Extra linoleum tiles 
• Basic tools 
• Garbage Bags 

During periodic inspections, do a quick check on window locks and frames, door knobs, locks, hinges and frames, woodwork and trim, and cabinet doors. Tighten any that need it. Look up at the ceiling and inside kitchen and bathroom cabinets for signs of water damage. Listen to the toilet to see if it’s running. Drips and leaking toilets are easily repaired, and if caught early, can prevent serious damage later. See to scuffs and chips on walls and cover with a bit of paint.

If you have a great handyman you can call on for jobs that are above your skill level, great! If not, you should develop a relationship with one. Ask around your network for recommendations. Electricians and plumbers specializing in quick response or small jobs are also valuable to have in your contact list. You never know when you’ll need any of these pros.

By keeping on top of rental property maintenance, you’re doing yourself a big favor when you’re pressed for time between tenants—and you could be preventing the headaches and repair bills that come from neglecting rental property.

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