Top Tenant Complaints and How to Solve Them

Upkeep Media • July 15, 2024

When renting out your home in Hilton Head , your top priority should be fostering a positive relationship with your tenants. Happy tenants are more likely to stay for the long term and take good care of your property. They’re also less likely to cause problems during their stay, making for more stable and stress-free tenancies.

One of the simplest things you can do to improve the relationship with your tenants is to address any of their complaints or requests promptly. Whether they’ve submitted an emergency repair request or have a complaint about another tenant, listening to them and addressing the problem quickly can go a long way. Let’s dive in!

1. Maintenance Complaints

Landlords are legally required to maintain their properties in safe and sanitary conditions. Failing to do so can lead to hefty fines and even early lease termination. It can also damage your reputation and the profitability of your rental, as no one wants to live in a poorly maintained property.

To avoid this, you must keep on top of your property upkeep tasks, conduct regular inspections, and address any maintenance complaints promptly.

Whether it’s a leaky faucet or an emergency repair, a quick response will prevent the problem from escalating further and will prove to your tenants that you care about their well-being and comfort.

2. Noise Complaints

Noise from construction work, loud parties, loud music, and even barking pets can disturb your tenants’ everyday lives. So, if a tenant ever comes up with a noise complaint, you must take action to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

The first thing you should do is assess the issue yourself. Different people have different thresholds for noises, so you must ensure that the noise actually constitutes a disruption. If it does, you must find the cause of it and figure out how to stop it.

It could be a neighbor with a loud engine or another tenant who likes to listen to music at high volumes. In most cases, asking the offending party to keep the noise down should suffice. If this doesn’t work and the disruptions persist, you’ll have to contact your local authorities.

If you own a multi-family property or an apartment complex, you can take a proactive approach to prevent noise complaints. Simply adding noise regulations policies to your lease will help you keep noise disturbances at a minimum.

3. Security Concerns

No one wants to live in a place where they don’t feel safe. That’s why you should always take tenants’ security concerns seriously, whether it’s a small issue such as a broken window, or a major security breach such as a break-in.

When dealing with complaints regarding the safety of your rental property, you act quickly, as your tenants’ well-being will be on the line. This includes replacing any broken doors, windows, or locks, and working with the police to find the intruder.

Additionally, you should consider investing in quality security systems and cameras to ensure that your property and your tenants are always protected.

4. Parking Disputes

If you own a multi-family rental or a house with little parking space, you’ll get your fair share of parking complaints. A lack of parking spots or an abundance of tenants failing to respect their assigned spaces can cause many issues between renters. To avoid these problems from escalating, you must act quickly.

If the complaint is about a tenant or neighbor regularly parking on your property or on a spot not assigned to them, you should talk to the offending party to resolve the issue amicably. If this is not possible, you may have to get your local authorities involved.

If you own a multi-unit rental property, you should consider setting up assigned parking spaces to prevent tenant-on-tenant conflicts. Additionally, you should add clear parking policies to all your leases.

5. Pet Complaints

In the last decades, the number of households with pets has skyrocketed. Unfortunately, untrained pets can cause many issues for landlords, including regular complaints due to excessive barking or property damage.

If a tenant ever complains about a pet, you should talk with the owner, whether it’s another tenant or a neighbor. A simple chat will help you find an amicable solution to the problem. However, if this doesn’t work, you may have to get your local authorities involved.

If you own an apartment building that allows pets, you should screen any pets beforehand. By vetoing pets with aggressive or problematic behavior will keep you protected from liabilities.

Additionally, you should include strict pet policies in your lease, as well as fees or punishments for issues for tenants with pets that are a regular cause of complaints.

6. Pest Infestations

Pests are a major health hazard. So, if a tenant ever complains about a potential pest infestation on your rental, you should address the problem immediately. Hire a professional to conduct a thorough property inspection.

If there are signs of an infestation, they can resolve the issue promptly. If there are no pests in your home, both you and your tenants will gain some peace of mind.

Bottom Line

If you own a rental property, you’ve probably had to deal with a fair share of tenant complaints. Unfortunately, this is an unavoidable aspect of being a landlord.

Even if your property is in prime condition and you’re an attentive owner, some tenants may still find things to complain about. Given that you cannot prevent tenant complaints completely, you must know how to solve them effectively.

Some of the most common tenant complaints landlords have to deal with include maintenance requests, noise complaints, security concerns, and parking disputes. By keeping a cool head and thoroughly assessing the issue, you can solve these common problems quickly and improve your relationship with your tenants.

If you need further help dealing with tenants, contact AIM Real Estate Management!

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