As a rental property owner, you should be ready for complaints, from repairs to tenant interpersonal issues. Tenants in Texas have numerous rights, including the right to quiet enjoyment, health and safety and security. Thus, if a tenant complains about a matter, you should handle it competently.
Here are four things to consider doing:
1. Include a system for complaints in your agreement
Your rental or lease agreement should have a clause that discusses how tenants can report complaints and how you will solve them. This can make your work more manageable as opposed to figuring it out every time a complaint is made.
2. Obtain adequate information about each complaint
Your official complaint form should have crucial questions that allow you to obtain adequate information. If you don’t have such a form, you should meet with the tenant after they make a complaint to learn more about the issue.
3. Respond quickly to complaints that affect safety
Taking time to resolve an issue can make a tenant feel like you ignored their complaint. Thus, it’s crucial to respond quickly. If they need a repair, hire specialists immediately. If they complain about loud music from a neighbor, meet with the neighbor before the issue gets out of hand and so on.
4. Keep records of your attempts to resolve complaints.
It helps to keep records of complaints. The reports should include the tenant’s name and unit, the date of the complaint, the issue, the agreed resolution and the date the matter was resolved.
Record keeping can help you improve your property, as you can tell the matters most tenants complain about. Additionally, it can protect you, for instance, when you want to evict a tenant.
The above-discussed tips can help you handle tenant complaints effectively. However, if a tenant takes legal action against you, consider getting experienced guidance before you decide on your next move.