Top 5 reasons tenants leave at the end of their tenancy

In a climate where there is high demand for rental properties, why are your tenants leaving? lets dive right in and explore the issues...

Introduction

There’s no doubt that tenants want to feel happy in their rental home and landlords want their tenants to stay. The best way of achieving this is by providing a good quality property management service. It’s important for landlords to understand why tenants might be considering moving out, so they can address the issues quickly and effectively if any arise. Here are some of the most common reasons why tenants leave at the end of their tenancy:

Poor property maintenance

With a good relationship between the tenant and landlord, it's easier to get on top of any issues that may arise. This means that you'll be able to fix problems before they become too severe, which will save you money in the long run.

For example, if a leaky tap or faulty boiler starts causing problems in your rental property, it's best to deal with it quickly before tenants start complaining about damp patches or having no hot water. If this happens right at the end of their tenancy though – when they're packing up their belongings and getting ready to move out – it could cause them quite a lot of stress and lead them to leave early without paying rent for any additional days left on their contract.

Being kept waiting for repairs

The best way to avoid this problem is to be proactive and make sure that you are the one who initiates contact about repairs. If your landlord is regularly slow to respond, or if they don't seem to care about keeping you informed, it's time for a conversation. It's important that you keep track of what was agreed upon in relation to repairs and ensure that they are carried out accordingly.

If there are any issues with repairs being done correctly or not in a timely manner, talk to your landlord first before taking matters into your own hands (e.g., contacting other tradespeople).

Not dealing with tenants enquiries

At the end of a tenancy, tenants will often ask for a reference. If you are not sure how to create a positive reference for your tenants, check out our handy guide here!

Many landlords find it difficult to communicate with their tenants during their tenancy as they do not have much experience dealing with tenants' enquiries. For example, when responding to a tenant's complaint or dealing with rental arrears (late payments).

If you want to make your life easier at the end of the tenancy period and find yourself answering common questions asked by tenants and resolving disputes quickly, we've got some tips below:

Not dealing with complaints

• Make sure your staff know how to deal with complaints. Tenants have a right to complain about things like broken fixtures, delayed repairs, and pest infestations. If you don't have a way for tenants to report these issues, your business will suffer as a result.

• Give your staff the right training and tools for dealing with complaints. If they're not trained properly or don't have the right tools on hand, it's easier for them to ignore tenant complaints altogether (and possibly even blame them).

Poor property management service

• Poor communication

• Failure to deal with enquiries and complaints promptly and effectively.

• Insufficient maintenance of the property. This could include broken locks, leaking roofs and windows, poor heating or electrical systems, damp patches on walls or ceilings etcetera.

Conclusion

The more you know about the common reasons why tenants leave, the more likely you will be able to prevent them from doing so. A good tenant is a great asset to any landlord, so it’s important not only to make sure that your property is in good condition but also that you provide excellent service for them.