July: The perfect time to build good relationships

Whether your tenants are just moving in or they’ve been there for years, July is a pivotal time that can be used to recharge the owner/tenant relationship. Take the opportunity to set up preventative measures against a positive backdrop.

It’s time to welcome new tenants by making sure they know you are available or with a thoughtful touch like a welcome card or a bouquet of flowers. It can also be time to remind tenants of the most important things, like good practices in the building: where to put bikes, guidelines about recycling and garbage, and any other information regarding the building’s rules. Even though the tenants signed the rules when the lease was signed, they’re not always paying close attention to them at that moment. So don’t hesitate to point out everything you need to, deliver any sensitive messages and explain the dos and don’ts.

For tenants renewing their lease, it’s a good time to thank them for their loyalty or their tolerance of the noise from the new tenants’ move. These seemingly insignificant efforts actually help build a relationship of trust that will eventually make it easier for them to accept difficult messages if ever a more delicate situation arises.

Moving season is also vacation time, so take a moment to wish your tenants well while using the occasion to find out when they will be away during the summer. This might be crucial information if you are planning work while they’re away. It may simply be useful to let them know what’s on the program regarding any changes that may be coming. It’s also a great time to inform them of your own vacation times and who they should contact when you’re away.

July is also an ideal time to introduce new operation methods such as a new series of post-dated cheques or a new payment method. You may want to start using email as a formal means of communication and notification. As you may know, certified email is gradually replacing registered mail. Pronotif is an easy-to-use solution that formalizes your communications. To use this method, however, you must get consent from your tenant, and July is a good time to arrange the details. To learn more about Pronotif and your tenants’ acceptance of receiving certified email, click here.