If you have any experience in managing a rental property, you know how difficult it gets to handle tenants. There are maintenance complaints every month, people who don’t pay rent on time, people causing damage to the property…the list is endless!
The situation looks pretty grim for tenant disputes in USA. For example, in May, 2020, the Los Angeles Police Department recorded about 279 cases of landlord, tenant and neighbor disputes, which was the highest monthly total till then!
I bet you have at least once felt helpless to the point where you just want to give up! First of all, let’s face it, managing properties is no piece of cake. You are literally in charge of making people feel at home, in their homes. For every minor issue with the apartment, you are the first person they call. So, give yourself some credit.
Secondly, it doesn’t have to be this way! You don’t have to stretch yourself too thin across your various responsibilities as a property manager. There is a better way of handling things- and conflict resolution is an important part of it.
In this article, we will look at the kinds of problems property managers commonly face when it comes to communicating with tenants. Then we will look at what is conflict resolution, and how you can use it in your tenant disputes. Let’s begin!
Sources of conflict in tenant-manager relations
- Rent, fees, and security deposit
- Eviction notices
- Maintenance and repairs
- Confusion over terms of contract
- Privacy and access
- Discrimination
- Disputes among neighbors
Although these conflicts look manageable, in reality they may escalate into legal notices, leaving everyone bitter, and even broke. The reason? Lack of clear communication and use of mediation and conflict resolution strategies.
For example, Bieretz and colleagues (2020) have discussed how mediation strategies can reduce the negative consequences of evictions. As of 2016, US landlords filed about 2.3 million evictions, the most common reason being that the tenants have not paid rent.
But in some cases, the property owner uses eviction notices to scare or warn tenants to start paying rent on time, and the intention is not necessarily to remove them. But using mediation strategies can help them look at more mutually acceptable options, like extension of deadline for paying rent, or an agreement to pay late fees. That way, nobody goes to court, and everyone is happy!
What is conflict resolution?
When people disagree on something, they often try to get the best outcome for themselves, and don’t care about what happens to the other person. Moreover, when strong emotions are involved, conflicts might escalate into injury or damage. That’s why it is important to have a rational, unbiased perspective in a conflict, and consider the interests of both parties.
That’s exactly what conflict resolution is about- logically analysing options to find the outcome that best serves both parties. There are three basic processes involved in conflict resolution:
- Negotiation- Discussion between both parties to find a mutually acceptable solution through compromise on both sides.
- Mediation- A neutral third party facilitates communication between the two groups, to help them identify common ground and encourage collaboration.
- Arbitration- A neutral third party hears out both groups, and makes a binding decision that is legally enforceable.
- Consensus building- Brainstorming and problem solving exercises for shared decision making by both parties to achieve common long term goals.
Effective conflict resolution
Build trust
The first step of effective conflict resolution is to build trust. This doesn’t happen in a few hours or days, it takes months of work. A trusting relationship between tenants and property owner is something that is good to have, regardless of disputes.
What would a trusting relationship look like? Well, imagine you lived in a rented apartment. Your city is facing a severe water crisis. Your property manager keeps you updated with the situation, alerts everyone when water is about to get over, and assures you that she is going to invest in a new borewell for the building.
She is also quick to respond to maintenance requests, and complaints about the staff, and makes reasonable accommodations for tenants wherever required. If you think about it, these small measures give tenants a sense of security; it assures them that she is doing her best to take care of their needs.
When a tenant dispute arises, there will be an unsaid understanding, that the property manager will not make decisions to intentionally harm the tenants, and they are more likely to cooperate.
Stick to the facts
Communicating facts is important especially when you are mediating a dispute between tenants, or tenants vs the landlord. Both parties typically believe that they have lost something that is rightfully theirs, and hope to get what is owed to them by the opposite party. The picture becomes a lot clearer when you lay the facts calmly and precisely- like the offences, extent of damage, and reasonable compensation.
It is important to document the proceedings of a dispute, so that they can be used as evidence of what happened during the discussion. For example, if the dispute is about property damage, it is important to collect photographs of the property before and after damage, and have a record of the financial value of things that have been destroyed.
Avoid personal attacks
Sometimes, tenants lose their temper and make accusatory statements. It’s important to separate the person from the problem. The first step is to avoid getting defensive, or insulting the other party- acting with emotion is the worst thing you can do for yourself in such scenarios.
Keep reminding yourself to not take any insults personally, and to approach the problem from a purely logical point of view. At the same time, wherever possible, listen and show empathy to the other person, so that it temporarily cools down their anger. Then you can have the space to make calm, rational arguments.
If you are a property manager, and resolving conflicts is not your forte, we hope this article will help you explore newer ways of approaching tenant disputes. Remember, genuine empathy and clear communication are the cornerstones of successful conflict resolution!
