You should have a system in place for when you receive a complaint. This is an important part of managing a property. You may not always know or realize that your property is in need of repairs, so being able to resort to your system is the best way to handle any incoming complaints. 

Document The Complaint
 

Be sure to keep a record of when the complaint happened and who made it. Have a place where you write down these sort of things to remember them and then make a plan to fix them. Don’t just let the complaint drift off into thin air and forget all about it. Your residents want you to fix something, so make it happen. 

Make A Plan
 

Make a plan to address the issue as quickly as possible. If it is a matter of safety, you should look into it immediately. If it is a complaint about something else, attend to it quickly and see what you can do to make it right. Residents whose complaint are heard are more likely to be happy and come to you for help in the future in order to avoid driving them to take matters into their own hands. 

Is The Complaint Valid?
 

If the complaint is about something relating to security, it is usually valid. If it is a complaint relating to another resident’s behavior, it might not be as simple to fix. Residents will have differing opinions about matters relating to lifestyle and housekeeping items. You can’t alway make everyone happy in this area. Stick to the rules and regulations you laid out in the rental’ agreement to keep it consistent for everyone. 

Order Of Importance
 

Assign complaints an order of importance. Safety issues need to be addressed immediately. Aesthetics can be addressed later. Be sure to get to all complaints in a timely matter, but some are more urgent than others. 

Provide Proof
 

Provide your residents with written confirmation that you have done something to address their complaint. Keep one copy of the written confirmation for yourself, and send one directly to your resident. That way no one will have a question about what has actually been done to fix the problem and if ever needed, you have written documentation for the future. 

If you are looking for more tips and tricks to manage your properties, be sure to look at our whole list of trainings on our website. We have lots of different categories and development opportunities for any property manager to take advantage of and expand your knowledge. Check out our website today to sign up!