Answer Phone Messages Promptly
Nothing frustrates tenants more than calling a landlord, leaving a message, and not getting a timely response. If the call is about repairs and maintenance and if you've established a pattern of not calling back promptly, your tenant will get irritated and be tempted not to stay on after the lease expires.
Have an answering machine for one of the phone numbers you gave your tenant and listen to the messages every day. If you'll be out of town, delegate the responsibility to a family member or close friend. Your tenant deserves the courtesy of having a real person call back, even if just to say that you'll be back at the end of a week or two.
If your tenant's message isn't about a repair problem or if it is a repair but both you and the tenant know it can be postponed for a while, respond anyway. Let your tenant know when you'll be able to do the repair or have time to talk things over. Not responding tells your tenant that you don't care, listen, or want to maintain your property.
You can give the person you designate to pick up calls the authority to call your repair services if a problem needs to be addressed immediately. But since you'll have to pay a fee just to have the serviceperson come to the door, you want to be certain that you trust your helper to make good decisions and that he will use common sense before calling anyone in.
Think about common courtesy, too. If you're talking to a tenant in person or on the phone, don't take a call on your cell phone or ask your tenant to wait while you answer call waiting. Those interruptions are rude and make your tenant feel less important. You owe your tenants undivided attention.
Emergency Calls
When your tenant signed the lease, you supplied phone numbers where you can be reached day or night. So when you get a call in the middle of the night about an “emergency,” you should respond right away. Most tenants call about real emergencies. As you know, others call about every little thing. But you can't risk putting them off.
Give tenants the information they need to deal with certain things when you are not immediately available. Tell them where they can find the circuit breaker box so they can check there first when there seems to be an electrical problem. If they know where to find shut-off valves to the main water supply, it can ward off serious water damage throughout the house should a pipe burst or water overflow a sink or tub because the drain is clogged.
Even if you have a tenant crying “Wolf” all the time, one day the wolf might really be at their doorstep. You don't want to risk damage to your building or a liability claim after a real emergency from a tenant who's generally a pain in the neck.
Give an Alternate Number
Give your tenants your cell phone number so they can reach you in emergencies or when there are serious problems that they think need the immediate attention of an appliance service, plumber, or electrician. If you don't have a cell phone, consider getting one so that tenants can reach you. Otherwise give them an alternate number to call. Even if you're not home, you'll be able to gauge exactly what is wrong by asking a few questions. If you agree that it needs immediate attention, then you can give your tenant the number of the repair service you usually use.
