Do you know what is the common challenge faced by almost every property manager? Keeping the tenants happy is not the answer but what is tougher is responding positively to all their demands and requests. Let’s face a reality. In this world, there exists two types of residents – good residents and bad residents. Good residents usually do not come up with demands and are rather quite happy with little offerings. Bad residents are always curious as to why there is so much noise in the locality or why their managers are not able to meet them daily for a hello. Well, property managers are human and they have a hell lot of responsibilities towards the properties and their tenants. So, it might not be always possible to make free time for managers just to give a bright smile or listen to unnecessary complaints.

Despite, all property managers must take this as a challenge. They must rather learn to tackle bad residents and wittily handle their tantrums. It’s not always possible to assess initially whether a resident is good or bad. If you are really fortunate, a good resident can get better with times or otherwise, the opposite might happen quite drastically. So, here are some tips that would help you keep your cool, let you manage disputes and respond positively to special requests:

 

 

Think before saying ‘No’

‘No’ is one of the easiest replies you can give to a person. However, the consequences it might bring will not be so easy to deal. Likewise, if a resident comes up with a request, say for a rent extension or for bringing a pet into the property, just don’t say no because it will never resolve the issue. Rather things might go worse and you might be in the bad books of your tenants in a day or two.

First, try to understand what the renter is trying to request and whether that would really cause harm to the property. Ensure whether the request can really make your pockets empty or might cause legal issues. If the request is really problematic, make them understand very calmly as to where your hands are tied up. Most importantly, do not react on receiving incomplete information. Listen carefully and ask for more information if you feel.

 

Let them know about your limits to resolve the issue

Being a property manager, you will have a stronger voice. But this doesn’t mean that you will completely make them run out words after turning down a request. You can always keep reassuring them about fulfilling their requests but never make the mistake of making too many promises just because you want them to stay for long.

If the problem is really big, you must take matters to the landlord who might help you resolve the matter. Also, make sure that you do not end up in a heated conflict that will make things worse, and once a tenant decides to leave, you as a manager might not be able to hold on to the image of a nice, approachable man.

 

Apologize but not unnecessarily

Needless to say, managers must have an attitude in front of their tenants or residents. However, they might always end up doing a blunder, which might demand an apology. But cases, where residents will come up with such demands that go against the state policy, should never make managers subject to an apology. So, make sure that you have a list of local rules and regulations ready so that the tenants do not end up creating unnecessary arguments on these. Also, each and every regulation must be known to you in detail so that you can confront them and explain.

 

Keep a well-written protocol

A well-documented protocol stating all common requests actually prepare staff members for the inevitable. The benefit here is that your workers will not be subject to disruptions during the challenging times and keep moving with the normal workflow. So, always keep a plan ready, jot it down somewhere and accordingly get your staff trained.

 

Keep other alternatives ready

If you think that it’s not possible to meet your resident’s demand, come up with a sound alternative. If this is not possible, you can always take some time to get back to the resident. Solutions don’t come free and can often take a good amount of time. So, make your renters realize that you too need time to think and ask for cooperation instead of raising conflicts. Be polite, be realistic and don’t lose patience.