The Tenant Experience and Why It Matters
Tenant experience is the most important phrase most landlords don’t use. However, it is a key part of a successful rental agreement that benefits both parties.
As a landlord you need to think of your tenant as a customer. You are providing a service to them and they are paying you for it.
Ensuring tenants have a good tenant experience should be a high priority for landlords.
What Exactly Is the Tenant Experience?
This looks at how tenants experience all aspects pertaining to the property they are renting.
If there are unresolved issues with the property or a lack of communication between landlord and tenant, the relationship will break down and tenants are likely to leave or be dissatisfied.
Key areas which can cause problems include:
❌ Lack of care for the property
❌ Under-reporting of problems
❌ Poor communication
Why Should Landlords Care?
The landlord/tenant relationship is important.
Most landlords find the role challenging as their investment has created a lot of work and unwanted stress. This can result in a lack of focus on the tenant experience.
If the landlord does a bad job it can end with tenants leaving. The process to then find new tenants is time consuming and costly.
A successful relationship with your tenant provides you with peace of mind that the property is being cared for.
To reduce stress and ensure an increased return on your investment, landlords should strive to make the tenant experience positive.
A recent study by Cushman and Wakefield showed that 67% of renters had moved due to bad property management or customer experience.
What Does a Good TeX Experience Look Like and How Can It Be Achieved?
It’s about doing the basics well as a landlord. Let the tenant know they can come to you if needed and that you value their experience.
As a landlord it is imperative you have put the right processes in place to easily report and fix any issues relating to the maintenance of your property.
Stressed tenants who are trying to call you about a broken boiler when you are busy in a meeting will soon become frustrated.
To move past this antiquated process, moving to digital allows for a better, mutually beneficial solution.
Why Digital Matters
The world is digital, and understandably tenants want to incorporate issue reporting into their online space.
Millenials in particular are used to the convenience of digital. They appreciate the smoothness of booking an Uber ride or a Just Eat delivery and want the same when it comes to fixing issues.
Tenants are expecting more from their landlords, and so landlords need to keep up with the digital curve.
Digital Bridges the Communication Gap
- Tenants and landlords are often not on the same page.
- Information is often back and forth.
- Digital provides a solution.
Using technology gives tenants and landlords a platform to communicate effectively, with the following benefits:
✅ Easy to access
✅ Information stored centrally
✅ Eliminate unnecessary calls and emails
Digital Makes Reporting Issues Simple
When an issue arises, reporting needs to be quick, simple and accurate.
Normally it isn’t, as there are four parties involved in sorting out an issue:
- Landlords
- Tenants
- Agents
- Contractors
If the reporting is complicated, then it is likely the resolution will be too.
Reporting and resolving the issue has to be easy, and digital provides this. Here’s how:
✅ The actual reporting is easy to do using a smartphone
✅ Details and pictures can be added
✅ The issue can be identified
✅ The right tradesperson can be engaged & given the necessary information
✅ Everyone can follow the progress
✅ No one is waiting on calls
✅ The tenant experience (and landlord experience) is positive
How Can Landlords Put This into Action?
The key to successfully integrate digital is to use an app that provides a high-quality experience for all parties.
At Evo the experience of the user is paramount. We have created a platform that is easy to use, allowing issues to be reported in less than 30 seconds.
How Does Evo Work?
The first step is for the problem to be reported on the Evo platform.
Once a landlord has authorised a repair, our technology enables tenants to book jobs with accredited tradespeople through their smartphone.
As a landlord, you decide your level of involvement.
If you want the tenant and tradesperson to interact independently, you can monitor progress via the Evo dashboard and only get involved where necessary.
The Evo dashboard provides full visibility on your property’s service history and helps you ensure compliance checks are carried out on time and are fully recorded.
This means no panicked phone calls, no scrambling around for tradespeople, no missed checks and no disgruntled tenants.
The tenant experience is important as it directly impacts the landlord’s experience. And vice-versa.
It’s an intricate relationship that can run smoothly, but only with the right processes and technology in place.
PHOTO BY Illustrations @Evo
