Every landlord’s worst nightmare is to have difficult tenants, but if you’ve been a landlord for enough time, it’s bound to happen to you.
After all, no matter how well you may try to vet your tenants, you may sometimes be lucky and have amazing tenants, and other times you may end up with difficult tenants. The key is to know how to deal with these types of tenants, and this post is here to help with that.
Hire a property manager
The truth is that, unless you view being a landlord as your full-time job, you simply won’t be able to manage your property to its full potential.
You won’t be able to respond quickly or to fix issues quickly, and this will likely upset your tenants. And since most landlords use their rental properties as an extra income stream and often have other full-time jobs, this leaves them in quite a tough situation. However, businesses that offer services like rental management in Downtown Toronto will make it much easier for you to deal with difficult tenants, as they will do a lot of the work for you.
Communicate with your tenants
If you won’t be using any external services and will instead be dealing with your tenants directly, communication is key.
If they are complaining about something, you need to clearly explain to them what the situation is. For example, if they broke something and expect you to fix it, you need to explain to them that they are liable for any damages caused by them. And if you are renovating or doing other steps for home improvement, your tenants may also be unhappy, in which case you should explain to them that it is for their own benefit. Of course, this goes both ways, as you also need to be open to hearing what your tenant has to say.
Remain professional
It’s easy to get frustrated with tenants, especially if they are being unnecessarily difficult or rude, but you need to keep your cool and remain professional, no matter how angry or upset you get. Remember that your rental property is essentially a business, and how you conduct yourself is important.
So, never be disrespectful, and try your best to calm your mind and not get overly emotional when dealing with difficult tenants.
Review the contract
Also, keep in mind that you have a lease agreement for a reason, and if your tenant is being difficult, one of the first things you should do is review your contract with them.
Firstly, you need to do this because it might be the case that you are in fact in the wrong, in which case you should apologize. Secondly, if your tenant is in the wrong, you can use the contract to prove this. For example, if the contract states that they are responsible for paying any damages that occur due to their negligence, you can use the contract to enforce this. And if they end up breaking the contract, they may need to face the consequences.
