In this two-minute
read, we look at the benefits of building a good relationship with your tenant.

Type' landlords are' into Google, and the words that come up
next are pretty unflattering.

According to the global digital giant, the most commonly
searched phrases are 'landlords are parasites' and 'landlords are leeches'.

A few other choice terms – that we're too polite to use here
– come up as well, but you get the drift.

There is a common public perception that all landlords are modern-day
Fagins, renting out flea-ridden hovels at rip-off prices.

This raises two questions:

1. Is this a fair and accurate description?

2. Does it matter? Being a landlord is about providing
rental accommodation, not winning a People's Choice Award.

You can probably guess our answer to Question 1. The
suggestion that landlords are universally evil is blatantly untrue. There are
some unscrupulous characters in the industry, but they are in the minority. There
are many good landlords in Kent – we work with many of them every
day – who take their responsibilities seriously. But since when did a tenancy
running smoothly make the news?

So now we get to Question 2 – who cares if landlords are
hopelessly misunderstood? Well, we certainly don't think the negative
stereotype helps.

Some tenants adopt a bunker mentality that makes every
conversation that little bit more difficult. It's much better if the lines of
communication are open and positive. That way, if a problem does occur, the
tenant is more likely to be patient while the landlord addresses it.

To build a positive relationship, it's essential that
landlords:

·
Be on top of all routine maintenance. Being
sluggish when it comes to keeping the property in good condition builds
resentment.

·
Respond promptly to a tenant when they get in
touch. Making them wait a few days because you're snowed under with other
commitments is unprofessional.

·
Carry out regular inspections. Misunderstandings
are less likely to happen if you stay in touch.

In our experience, ongoing dialogue can prevent messy legal
disputes. And the last thing you want is for the relationship to break down and
for all communication to take place via lawyers.

If you can't dedicate the necessary time to managing a good
relationship with your tenant, a good letting agent can do it for you – and
save you money in the long run.

To find out how the CWB Property team is
helping Kent landlords manage their properties through the pandemic's
challenges, get in touch.

Copyright 2021 CWB Property