We all need a safe place to retreat to and relax - there’s no place like home.
Neither tenants nor landlords (nor property managers!) want conflict, so here’s five tips to get that tenant/landlord relationship off to a great start:
1) Be patient when you’ve applied
Yes it can be hard waiting to hear if your application for tenancy has been successful. You’ll want to make plans and may be anxious to head off the competition of other applicants. Nagging for a response isn’t the way to go though as this can put you in a bad light before your tenant/landlord relationship has even got off the ground. Property Managers can’t give you a decision until they’ve screened you (so they may be waiting on someone else) and also need the approval of the landlord. If you haven’t had a positive response within a couple of days, sending a polite email or text asking about the process is a good idea.
2) Pay Your Rental On Time
Don’t pay all your other bills before your rental. Keep home base your priority. Set up a direct debit if you can. For some landlords they depend heavily on your rental property as their financial plan for their retirement. Your rent may pay the mortgage, so missed payments can make a significant difference.
Stay on the right side of your landlord and they will be open to extending your lease and looking after you. There’s high demand for rental properties in Wellington and every landlord craves reliable tenants whatever the market - they’re like gold (valuable and not to be relinquished)!
3) Maintain A Good Attitude
Be polite and respectful. And be reasonable. The tenant/landlord relationship is a give and take one so it’s common-sense to keep on the right side of each other where possible. Everyone appreciates being treated with basic politeness and respect (that goes for property too). We all have busy schedules. Believe it or not landlords/Property Managers want to resolve issues as quickly and painlessly as possible. Remember they frequently have other properties and tenant issues, attending to numerous tasks to prevent problems from occurring or worsening. It's certainly in their best interests to get solutions for all.
A polite and helpful attitude will give you an advantage when it comes to negotiating an agreement, help to avoid dispute, and favour you when you want to renew your lease or acquire a good reference. As the proverb goes “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”.
4) Communicate Honestly
Please be honest about what’s going down at your end. Did you leave the tap on and the kitchen flooded, or did you dent the wall when you were moving in? Lost your job? Talk to your landlord. These things happen, (what’s happened to you has probably happened before!) so don’t hide in embarrassment. If they don’t know what’s going on they can’t help and if you delay the call until it suits you it can mean extra expense having to get contractors in at night or in the weekend. Communicate well and when in doubt, ASK. Being upfront builds trust and every sound relationship is based on it!
If you think maintenance is not being done you could make a video of the maintenance item and send this to the landlord. Make clear records of communications. The earlier things are addressed the quicker they can be resolved – both sides want this.
5) Trust Us
Dominion Property Management understands the importance of a healthy relationship with their tenants and property owners. Wherever possible we want both sides to be happy - we’d like to reduce stress and be happy too! We’re not going to try to rip you off. If we need access to the house for a workman on your day off, or ask for certain information from you, it’s not because we want to make life difficult for you. We want your tenancy to work for both you and your landlord and we can help with communication and negotiation. It’s a bit like a marriage – heard of the saying “happy wife, happy life”? We do always aim for the best possible resolutions for you.
It helps to use basic common-sense and remember the give and take principle as tenants. Enjoy your rental home. And have a great Christmas!!