We often find ourselves getting new clients when landlords are in the process of dealing with very difficult tenants and they’re not sure what to do. There are a few things that might help you deal with those tenants a little more effectively.
For most common things, a landlord can enter a property with 24 hours notice. However that doesn’t work with a lot of tenants. Give them more time if it’s possible. We find that giving tenants at least 48 hours of notice will make everything you need to do a lot easier. It also makes things easier for the tenant and they can coordinate their schedules better. This will make them less difficult to work with.
It’s important to have a lot of dialogue with your tenants. Be open to communicating in different ways. If you’re willing to go back and forth via text message or email or whatever works for the tenant, you’ll help your tenant feel more comfortable and that will make it easier for you to get what you need from that tenant.
If it gets to a point where things are just not working, you need to take drastic measures. Perhaps a tenant is refusing to allow you into your property. If it’s something of that nature, you need to be willing to post physical notices on the tenant’s door. California law allows you to post a notice on the door, alerting the tenant that you’ll enter the property within 24 hours to take care of whatever issue needs your attention. This should be a last resort. No tenant wants to have notices posted on the door and you don’t want to do that either. It’s more about building a relationship.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us at Zabace Property Management if you’re not sure how to handle a difficult tenant, and we’d be happy to help you.
