Things good tenants dislike intensely

Just as landlords expect the rent to be paid on time and good standards of behaviour from their tenants, there are a number of things that good tenants dislike intensely and throughout the next few weeks we are going to be exploring some of them in the hope that landlords will bear them in mind, especially if they want to hang on to their good tenants.

Good tenants don’t like being disturbed

One of the contributory factors to them being good tenants is that they make very good neighbours, showing consideration to those people who live around or near to them.  So when a neighbour throws all-night parties on a regular basis good tenants will hate it.

Good tenants will not like living next door to a drug dealer with the ensuing stream of unsavoury visitors and bad behaviour that is so much part of a drug dealer’s life.  The likelihood of a good tenant moving out in these circumstances is even higher than if they had to deal with all night parties.  Indeed any drug dealing on an estate or apartment block will define, in the tenant’s, mind that the area is going downhill.  Good tenants hate run down areas.

Landlords who disturb good tenants by using a power washer to clean their cars on the drive on Saturday at 7 am when the tenants had planned a lie in or quiet breakfast on the patio will not be loved and mowing the lawn early on Sunday morning will not endear landlords to their good tenants either.

Good tenants dislike their lives being disrupted

Whether it is repairs to communal areas or repairs on the rental property, good tenants dislike their lives being disrupted unduly by them.  It is one thing that they have had to put up with road works outside the property; and the indifference of council workmen, when they had to wait whilst a digger got out of the way so that they could get their car out of the parking space, which made them late for work; but quite another when they got home from work to find their parking space blocked by a huge pile of sand.

It may be surprising but landlords are able to control each one of these disturbing and annoying factors.

By immediately responding to complaints about noise, landlords will be appreciated by good tenants and will be shown to uphold an agreement that the good tenants agreed to adhere to when they signed their tenancy agreement, which was not to disturb their neighbours.

If good tenants complain about drug dealer neighbours, the landlord should evict them if they are renting a property owned by him or her; or support the tenants in their complaint to the council or the police about anti-social behaviour and using the property for illegal purposes.  It may be difficult for the landlord to prove that drug dealing is going on but if the police stake out the property it won’t be!  And if the landlord doesn’t own the property, as a good landlord he/she should speak to the owner of the property, liaise with the police and other neighbours to get the drug dealer out.

When it is necessary for repairs to be carried out, good tenants like their landlords to consider the inconvenience it is going to cause them first.  Naturally good tenants understand that major repairs may cause some discomfort but a good landlord will work with his contractors to ensure that as little inconvenience is caused as possible.  Contractors when prompted to think about these things will more than likely come up with some suggestions as to how they can minimize problems caused to tenants.

If repairs are necessary, good tenants expect to be given reasonable notice.  They like to receive a letter detailing the work, when it will commence, when it is likely to be finished and how it is likely to affect them.  For example, if the work is going to necessitate tenants parking their cars elsewhere, they would like an alternative parking space allocated to them.

Whilst good tenants will appreciate any improvement to their home, when all the work is finished they will appreciate even more a small gift from the landlord, acknowledging their patience and thanking them for their consideration.

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