Text, Phone, or Email – How Should You Contact Tenants?

Good communication with your tenants is a requisite to being a successful Sudden Valley rental property owner. But determining the right method of communication is another problem. Landlords can now enjoy the ease of communicating with their tenants thru text, email, and calls but which should be chosen for a specific occasion? You have to answer this question since there is more to keeping your tenants comfortable and staying informed. There are financial and legal implications for this.

Texting

Many tenants and property owners love the ease and convenience of texting. For simple “hello’s” and “how do you do’s”, texting is a great way to keep the lines of communication open with your tenants. Different messaging platforms offer more than just texts. It would be convenient for tenants to take photos so you can see them ahead then schedule repairs for later.

But there are disadvantages to texting. One main hurdle is how to track and save your conversations. As a property owner, it is important for you to keep a record of your conversations with your tenant. This will be valuable when there are disagreements or legal issues that could arise. It goes without saying that all messages must be intact since the time you started texting

Other than saving messages, some tenants may lack the courtesy and just text you at a very inconvenient moment. If you use a personal or business cellphone, some tenants expect you to reply to them right away. These are the things that you need to consider before you use texting to contact tenants.

Phone Calls

Phone calls to tenants are straight, pleasant, and personal. There is no better way than hearing someone’s voice and having a verbal conversation in real-time. By talking to your tenants over the phone, you strongly establish a good working relationship with them and you can communicate your concerns properly. Your tenants would likely consider staying longer in your rental.

Just like texting, when you use your phone to call tenants, it would be difficult to document your conversations. All the more true when liability issues or sensitive information is discussed, you need to find a way how to document these, should there be a dispute. Also, take into account that you will be obliged to answer your phone whenever your tenants call. On the other hand, when tenants find themselves constantly relegated to their landlord’s voicemail, they might not call you anymore, thus rendering this communication option useless.

Email

Email offers the advantages of texting and phone calls. It is a relatively convenient method of communication, as most people use and are comfortable with email. Email offers ease of documentation as all conversations with your tenants are saved. The email even allows you to pause, and compose a well-thought-out response to your tenant’s question or complaint. With email, documents and attachments are sent out date-and-time stamped. This information is very important.

But on the flipside, email is not as convenient or fast as texting, and tenants do not prefer writing through email. When people do not use an email that much, you do not get a timely response since your message just sits in their inboxes. An email is a business-like form of communication so you need to work on how to make your message come across as warm and friendly.

Whatever methods you choose, you must remember that tenant communications should be frequent, friendly, secure, and properly documented. It would be best to agree with your tenants which communication method you both prefer and could use consistently.

Tenant communication can be a challenging aspect of owning rental properties in Sudden Valley. But Real Property Management Teyata can help! Leave the hassle to us. We can contact your tenants so you can free up your schedule and you can relax and get a good night’s sleep. For more information, contact us online or call us at 206-861-5525.