No matter how well you screen your renters, eventually, you’ll deal with a difficult renter situation. A thorough screening process helps investors avoid most bad renters and expensive resident problems. However, sometimes a positive renter relationship can go sour and lead to a problematic situation.
For many real estate investors in Logan, owning investment properties and building long-term wealth is enjoyable—but the “people” aspect of managing rental properties can be frustrating. Every renter is different, and every situation requires a professional approach to maintain good relationships and benefit from long-term residents who renew a lease.
We’ve dealt with all kinds of renters throughout our experience as investors and property managers! Follow our expert Logan UT property management tips when dealing with difficult renters.
Stay Calm and Exercise Patience
Stay Calm and Exercise PatienceIf a renter is upset with you or a situation, becoming upset in return won’t help. No matter how angry or animated your renter becomes, it’s critical to stay calm, listen, and be patient while resolving the situation.
Sometimes an unhappy resident can become hostile—verbally, by causing damage to your property, or through withholding the rent. When Logan rental property owners stay calm, it’s easier to diffuse an unpleasant situation and reach a peaceful resolution.
If renters get under your skin, a Logan UT property management company can take over for you! We’re the pros you need to remain level-headed when dealing with challenging renters and difficult “people” situations.
Renters Are Not Your Friends (or Family)
It’s important to build friendly relationships with your residents, but investors must stop short of developing friendships with renters who live in their properties. Keeping professional boundaries helps property owners deal with resident-related problems with objectivity. When you become friends with renters (or allow family members to rent your property), it’s hard to enforce the rules and hold residents accountable to the lease. Plus, renting to family members can impact the tax benefits of owning investment properties.
When investors don’t feel comfortable enforcing rent payments from friends or family, they lose money! You’re in this business to generate more long-term income. Be friendly to renters, but don’t let them take advantage of you as a friend or family member who needs a place to live.
Document Everything (Starting With the Lease)
The lease provides a roadmap for dealing with the most common resident issues. When a problem comes up, consult the lease and a professional Logan UT property management company to determine the next steps toward resolution.
Outside of the lease, keep track of communications and requests, including:
- Renter maintenance requests
- Emails and text messages
- Phone calls and in-person communications
- Property inspections
- When and how you resolved requests or issues
A ticketing system makes it easy to log requests or complaints, then mark them complete after resolving an issue. If you’re not currently using a ticketing system, our expert Logan property management team can help you get organized with one.
Expect the Best (but Be Prepared for the Worst)
Throughout the lifetime of owning a rental property, investors can expect more good renters than bad. With the right screening process and expert marketing, it’s possible to minimize the risk of terrible residents that cause headaches and financial loss.
However, dealing with difficult renters and situations will always be part of rental property ownership. “Professional tenants” look for (or create) trouble on purpose to take advantage of investors who aren’t prepared to deal with renter issues. These renters target rental property owners who can’t spot a bad resident before allowing one to move in.
Real estate investors that partner with the best expert Logan UT property management can step away from directly interacting with renters. They’ll also experience fewer bad renters and difficult situations with a property manager’s experience to screen and place quality renters.
When it’s necessary to pursue legal options for handling bad renter behavior, we follow the lease and apply our best practices to collect nonpayment of rent or handle other kinds of resident problems. We’ll only pursue legal eviction as a last resort and follow current laws (and temporary changes to eviction rules) while protecting your investments.
Never Deal With Difficult Renters Again! Hire a Property Manager
When you love the income (but not the responsibility of dealing with renters), it’s time for an expert Logan UT property management team! We make it possible for real estate investors to own valuable rentals in this area—without the need for you to ever interact with the renters who live in your properties.
Reeder Asset Management understands how to deal with excellent (and troublesome) renters to maximize your income and protect your investments. We minimize the negative financial impacts of a difficult renter while working hard to place the best quality renters in your properties.
Learn more about how Reeder Asset Management protects your rentals! Download our free “Guide to Finding the Best Property Management Company in Northern Utah.”