For landlords and property owners who have multi-family properties, there is always the possibility that your tenants may become involved in conflicts with each other. Even when you rent to tenants with good rental histories and solid references, tenant conflicts can still happen.
To keep them from escalating or becoming an ongoing issue for your other tenants, our Las Vegas property management experts share some tips on handling tenant conflicts.
What Is Tenant Conflict?
Tenant conflicts generally happen between tenants living in the same apartment complex or multi-family rental property when an internal issue arises. The most common tenant conflicts happen when there is an ongoing problem related to:
- Loud music, TV, or talking
- Children yelling, playing, or running loudly
- Excessive dog barking
- Loud noise from parties or gatherings
- Disrespect for property or space
- Rude or disruptive behaviors
While the ideal situation is for tenants to resolve their disputes amongst themselves, these conflicts can often escalate quickly. They may even involve threats or eventually lead to physical altercations without intervention.
How Can You Resolve Tenant Disputes?
A good landlord will help tenants avoid conflicts with their neighbors by providing preventative measures and ways for tenants to report the behavior without having to confront that person directly. Here are some steps you can take to mitigate the risk of tenant conflict and how to deal with it if it happens.
1. Include Detailed Rules and Expectations in the Lease Agreements
The first and most important thing you can do to avoid unpleasant tenant conflicts is to include specific provisions and explicit rules that spell out tenant expectations. A lease will tell tenants what is considered inappropriate behavior and what the consequences will be for violating the agreement.
An example of this is having a clause about noise. You could provide a timeframe that is considered “quiet time” starting late at night into the early morning. If a tenant creates a disturbance or nuisance during the outlined hours, they would be in breach of their rental contract.
2. Provide a Way for Tenants to File a Complaint
Another way to prevent tenant conflicts is to provide a way for your renters to submit a complaint about any unacceptable behavior. Make it easy for them to share their frustrations and concerns without having to speak with the other tenant directly. This will help them to avoid uncomfortable confrontations that can lead to more serious issues.
3. Acknowledge Your Tenant’s Concerns
Once you receive a complaint from a tenant, it is important to respond right away to say:
- You got the complaint
- You are looking into the matter
- You will take swift action if deemed necessary
It is vital that you do not express any disbelief or pushback regarding your tenant’s concerns. Be prompt about responding to them and take steps to correct the issue before it escalates.
4. Contact the Other Tenant to Inform Them of the Complaint
Next, you should contact the other tenant to let them know a complaint was filed and why. If it is their first offense, you can issue a warning and give them a set period in which they can correct their wrongdoing. However, if there have been multiple complaints from the same or even different tenants on the matter, you may need to take things further.
It is essential that you do not share any contact information of the person or people who have filed the complaint. To prevent tension and conflicts, the complaint should always remain anonymous.
5. Document Everything and Keep a Written Record
Even if you made a phone call to the tenant to let them know about the complaint, you should always have written proof of your conversation. Send a formal letter or email to document the complaint and to confirm that the tenant was made aware of the issue. The letter should also include:
- Any actions the tenant must take
- A timeframe in which the change must be made
- Reference to the specific lease agreement rules
- What action will be taken if the offense is repeated
It is also important that you keep your documents organized. Create a file for each tenant, which you can reference if there is ever another complaint. These records are particularly important if you need to take legal action against a tenant.
6. Follow Up with the Tenant Who Filed the Complaint
The next step you should take is to follow up with the tenant who sent the complaint. You will want to make sure that the behavior stopped and that they feel satisfied with the results. Reaching out again helps tenants to feel valued and relays that you care about the issue. You definitely do not want to lose good tenants because they do not think you have done anything to correct the matter.
7. Take Further Action If Necessary
Unfortunately, sending a warning to a tenant is not always enough to stop the behavior. If the dispute between tenants goes further and becomes a danger to those living in the rental property, you will need to take further action. This may include eviction or legal action to remove that person.
While that might seem drastic or messy, you should always do whatever is in the best interest of your tenants. Letting the conflict continue will only make matters worse and may even impact the success of your rental income in the long run.
How Can a Property Manager Help with Tenant Conflicts?
Promoting a positive environment for your rental community is important for tenant retention, attracting quality renters to fill vacancies, and building a strong reputation in the neighborhood. However, dealing with unhappy tenants can be one of the harder aspects of the job.
An experienced property manager can handle all tenant communication, including complaints about other tenants, and resolve conflicts in a professional and timely manner. They can help landlords and property owners take a more proactive approach to tenant satisfaction by streamlining the communication process and enforcing rental lease agreement rules.
Our Black & Cherry Las Vegas and Henderson property management team are ready to help you manage tenant disputes and other essential property management services. To learn more, contact our property management team for a consultation today!
