“Happy tenants are good for everyone.”
We don’t know if that’s a quote from someone in the business, but it’s got to be true. Happy tenants like where they live and work! They complain less and are likely to keep the property looking good, whether it’s a foyer with the vintage mailboxes or common areas outside an office building. Renters could be apartment dwellers or Fortune 500 companies, and the fact is that most tenants have everyday needs—and similar complaints.
CREM Management has helped many people at all levels of the property management ladder, from single-family residences to apartments to downtown office buildings. A good way to address what tenants need is to know what they don’t need in the form of complaints. We like to work with both tenants and landlords to make this real estate niche a pleasant experience.
One survey from a February 2023 Forbes article listed these top tenant complaints:
Maintenance Issues and Requests
Lack of Communication
Noisy Neighbors and Other Disagreements Between Tenants
Pest Infestation
Another list added:
Rent Increases
Safety Concerns
Inadequate Parking
Pet Policies
If these are what tenants need to be happy and stay in the rental spaces how and why are landlords falling short? What are the renters’ expectations? Are they reasonable?
Maintenance Issues and Requests
This one complaint is at the top of almost every complaint list we saw. Here’s why: if the tenant’s refrigerator stops working or, worse yet, the toilet overflows, these are emergencies from the renter’s standpoint. How long is too long to wait? Five minutes is arguably too short, but an apartment building would be very popular if there were an onsite plumber, electrician, or someone nearby for 24/7 service calls. That’s not always doable, but renters want the confidence that their emergencies will be handled reasonably quickly. A good landlord will have access to people (more than one!) who can do this for their tenants. It's a cost of doing business that pays off.
Lack of Communication
Lack of communication relates to almost everything else on the lists we saw. Renters want to know when rent increases are coming and how much they will be with enough warning so they can move if they have to. They need to be able to talk about general problems—like safety (see below) and noisy or messy neighbors. Do they have a forum for discussing issues? Even if the landlord cannot act on everything right away, renters feel better if they think they’re being heard and that management is at least looking into ways to solve the problems rather than just giving lip service. CREM Management understands this.
Noisy Neighbors and Other Disagreements Between Tenants
Noisy neighbors might pertain to apartments, but they may also occur in condominium complexes, and office buildings. The inconsiderate neighbor might also be the one who leaves the trashcan lid off or parks their car taking up two spaces. It’s an annoyance because it’s not a lot of effort to put the lid on and park correctly. What does management do about it? That’s the bottom line. Do they do anything?
Pest Infestation
Roaches. Rats. Ants. Mice. The problem is that these pests can make their homes in even the nicest places. They’re not restricted to low-rent districts at all. And they’re sometimes tough to remove. Tenants want responsive landlords who take pests of all sizes seriously. It’s the little things that bother us the most sometimes.
Rent Increases
Everyone would like to enjoy the same rental costs for the rest of their lives. Renters would like to live and work with no increases as well, but the reality is that inflation raises the price of everything. Most reasonable tenants understand their rent can increase over time. Rent increases are a problem when they are large with little or no warning and seem noticeably larger than percentage increases for other purchases. Say food prices increase by 5%—why is the rent going up 10%? Circling back to communication— sometimes, if the tenant has been warned of the increase, it can help. Or if they are given an opportunity to gradually increase rather than all at once, they may be able to work with the landlord. It’s exceptionally difficult if they cannot increase their income, but the rent still increases. These are sticky times. The landlord sometimes has no choice. They can’t lose their property because they cannot cover their P&L. It’s a business.
Safety Concerns
Safety is a big issue and is on lots of top ten lists. People want to know they are as safe from fires as possible with fire escapes and alarms—that work. They want a safe neighborhood, or at least good protection against intruders with security protocols, strong locks, and lighting around the perimeter of the building and in the parking areas. If they have families they want safe play areas. They want surveillance cameras, clean restrooms, and germ-free public areas if they are a business. Downtown rental properties have a more significant safety challenge than previous generations. It’s a massive responsibility for new landlords. That’s where professional property managers like CREM Management are becoming more critical.
Available Parking
Urban areas are the worst. The cost of a parking spot is starting to equal the price of a scalped ticket for a Taylor Swift concert. When street parking is in short supply, one tenant gets the reserved spot, and their spouse has to circle the block, stalking anyone leaving. It can cause street arguments and marital spats. “It’s my turn for the parking spot this week.” Parking made the list because it’s a little thing that becomes a big thing when it’s missing.
Pet Policies
If you’re a pet lover, having a pet is near the top of your apartment or home rental list. If you’re pet-averse, the barking dog two doors down can bring the parking argument into the corridors of the apartment building. It’s not the noise alone. It can be the smell, hair, fleas, and messes in the yard or on the grounds. It falls under the other categories of noisy neighbors, tenant disagreements, and lack of communication. Sensitive, sensible property management goes a long way to mitigate these complaints.
Conclusion
The tenants’ survey answers are no surprise. People are happiest when their “stuff” works. They like to be heard and want to know that their pest and neighbor problems will be handled quickly and professionally. Businesses that rent office building suites are similar to apartment dwellers. Everyone wants a peaceful existence, ample parking, and a good place to live, work, and play. Professional management companies can help renters achieve those goals by providing good coaching to their property owners, great support for the residents and tenants, and excellent services to handle the little things that can be the most annoying.
Renters sometimes need to make their decision to move in—or out—quickly with a minimum of fuss. Having an efficient system goes a long way to ensuring a good life experience for everyone. Effective property managers improve the entire transaction, from moving tenants into a living or working space to facilitating the move-out.
Contact CREM Management to learn about what we can do to ensure that interactions between renters and landlords are “just right.”
