Good Tenant-Landlord Relationships: 6 Tips for Self-Managing Homeowners

Historically, tenants and landlords have a frosty relationship. So frosty that Belong prefers not to use the terms at all (we like the friendlier ‘homeowners and residents’) as we rewrite the rental experience. 

But it’s not always this way. Renting out a home provides an incredibly vital service to the community and just as there are great long-term residents, there are also fantastic and helpful homeowners. You may really enjoy renting out your home and look at rental management as a hobby or profitable side hustle. 

So for those who are going it alone and self-managing a rental home, what can you do to improve your landlord-tenant relationship? To keep your home (and cash flow!) running smoothly and encourage great residents to stick around long term?

Here are 6 easy tips that can make your tenants feel more at home (and less likely to leave at the end of their lease). 

1. Create a welcome pack for new residents

When self-managing a rental home, it’s a great idea to send a welcome pack for your home with the signed lease. After all, you want them to treat it as their own and feel comfortable in their new space. Think of it like a compendium that a hotel room has, helping you get up to speed with standard procedures and the local area. 

A welcome pack can include any information that new residents should be aware of. This could include: 

• How to contact you
• Utility connections and payments
• The need for renters insurance
• How to pay rent
• Any HOA rules in place
• Recycling and trash collection days

You could even include some helpful personal touches, like school districts and the best coffee shops or dog parks in your neighborhood. 

Learn More: Discover Belong PRO, the best alternative to Property Management in Seattle, Redmond, Oakland, and many more cities across California, Florida and Washington State.  

2. Remove the need to chase them for rent

One of the most uncomfortable conversations between landlords and tenants is about overdue rent. Asking for rent doesn’t make you the bad guy, but it can still feel unpleasant when rent goes unpaid or tenants are struggling financially. Soon your tenants may start dodging your calls and before you know it, the relationship has soured despite best intentions. Or worse, you need to start eviction proceedings. 

This is why guaranteed rent is Belong’s most popular product. It’s proven and beloved by over 2,000 Belong PRO homeowners who now get paid passive income like clockwork, regardless of when their residents pay rent.

Read More: How Guaranteed Rent is Changing Property Management Forever

3. Keep the home well-maintained 

Showing your home some love is a great way to make sure your tenants do too. Be sure to create a budget for regular home maintenance to ensure you can attend to resident concerns and home repairs as soon as they arise. 

It’s also a good idea to invest in functional features of your home that can approve the home’s appreciation long-term while also making the house more comfortable to live in. So if a resident complains about a moldy shower curtain, you should consider investing in a screen that can be cleaned, rather than replacing it with another cheap shower curtain. If the garden is dying, look at installing a reticulation system to keep it watered all year round.

Read More: Why Ignoring Rental Home Maintenance Could Cost You More Than Repairs

4. Be friendly and professional

Great communication with tenants is essential to a good relationship. That means not springing inspections on them at a moment's notice, respecting privacy, and keeping communication civil.

The best advice is to be professional with all communication, but it’s also ok to be friendly too. Ideally you want to achieve a relationship where you are approachable. It’s better that a resident can come to you with concerns, such as if rent may be late or something needs repairs, than letting it get to a point where you need to evict them. While we don’t suggest you start bombarding them with emojis or ‘HEY GURL!” intros, it is ok to be friendly and, well, human when you email them!  

Learn More: Belong PRO can handle all communications with 24/7 concierge services available for both you and your residents. See why thousands of US homeowners are ditching outdated Property Management in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tampa, Jacksonville, Concord, Berkeley, Orlando and more.

5. Let them paint or hang artwork

Artwork is a great way to personalize a space, helping your tenants to fall in love with your home. But as the homeowner, you don’t want to be dealing with lots of damage when the pictures come off. As part of your welcome pack or communication, you could suggest some no-damage solutions like the ones in this article for hanging art in a rental property. 

And if your tenants ask to paint a room or two? Work with them on a color scheme and cost that you can both be happy with. This could improve the ROI of your rental home, while also helping residents to make themselves at home. 

6. Reduce the running costs of the home

Another way to keep your residents comfortable in your home (and getting the bills paid on time) is to look at the sustainability and efficiency of the house. If your rental home is uncomfortably cold all winter and stuffy all summer, there’s a good chance your home has a high carbon footprint and isn’t appealing to stay long-term. 

Thankfully there are plenty of cost-effective ways that you can make your rental home more sustainable, making a great impression on your residents and reducing their emissions. 

Read More: 7 Cost-Effective Ways To Make Your Rental Home Sustainable in 2023

Better long-term tenancy, on your terms

Belong is simplifying the rental experience across the US and helping more homeowners reach their financial goals on their own terms. For people who want a completely hassle-free home management experience with guaranteed rent and 24/7 concierge service, check out Belong PRO.