Communication with your tenants
It's important to keep regular communication with your tenants throughout the tenancy
Providing your tenants with a welcome pack can have a positive impact on your relationship with them and may encourage your tenants to stay longer.
But as the tenancy progresses, it’s important to make sure you resolve any issues quickly and maintain clear lines of communication.
Remember, buy to let is a business and it’s important to treat your tenants as customers if you want to retain them. If they have a query or an issue, responding promptly and effectively is the equivalent of top notch customer service.
Set parameters from the outset – let your tenants know how they can contact you and how quickly you’ll be able to respond. Then, make sure you stick to them.
We recommend inspecting the property within a month of your tenants moving in and then around every six months after that – this will give you an opportunity to check they’ve settled in and offer them the chance to ask any questions. Of course, you need to give them proper notice and not turn up unannounced, but other than that, try not to interfere.
A month or two before the tenancy expires, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your tenant to see whether they are planning to extend their contract.
If you’ve followed the steps outlined here, there’s a good chance they will be happy to stay, but you could offer an incentive to renew before the tenancy ends, such as keeping the rent the same or offering to give the living room a lick of paint.
Having a clear strategy for marketing your property to attract and retain good tenants is essential for landlords looking to minimise voids and make a profit.
Securing good, reliable tenants who are a perfect match for your property is key to a successful and stress-free tenancy and, ultimately, to your bottom line as a landlord.
Once you’ve found a good tenant, it’s worth going the extra mile to keep them. For more information on being a good landlord, read our guide, The basics of being a good landlord.