1. Home
  2.  → 
  3. Property Law
  4.  → How to handle tenant complaints as a residential landlord

How to handle tenant complaints as a residential landlord

On Behalf of | Sep 12, 2022 | Property Law

Being a landlord can be an excellent source of income, but it also comes with many responsibilities. One of the most important things to do is to ensure that you’re a reputable landlord so you aren’t running into legal issues.

You’ll likely have to deal with tenant complaints throughout your time as a landlord. These can range from simple complaints to some very major ones. For the complaints that aren’t an emergency, you should set up office hours for the tenants to contact you. Emergency complaints must be possible around the clock.

Always remain calm

Tenants can get very elevated when things go wrong in the place they’re renting. Don’t get upset when they make these complaints. Instead, remain calm and remember they’re coming to you for help. You also shouldn’t ignore them when they complain because there’s a chance that doing this could run afoul of the applicable laws. All acts of retaliation are illegal for landlords.

Listen to the claim

Always listen to the claim that the tenant is making. Even if it seems like something silly, you shouldn’t discount a claim by a tenant until you have all the information about it. There’s always a chance that they’re just presenting the information to you in a way that seems foolish initially.

Take the time to review the lease terms with your clients. This one point could help to prevent many problems. If some can’t be resolved easily, going to court might be necessary. Be sure you have someone on your side who can help you with this if it happens.