📘 Set expectations from day one

Good communication starts before the tenant moves in. A clear welcome pack should cover:

• Who to contact, and how, for different issues
• How to report repairs, and what counts as an emergency
• How and when rent is paid
• What the tenant is responsible for, from bins to bulbs

A short call or visit at move-in helps too. Tenants who know how things work are more likely to look after the property and report problems early.

📲 Make it easy to get in touch

Pick your channels, such as phone, email or a tenant portal, and tell tenants which to use for what. A portal is best for repairs, because it gives you photos, a timestamp and a clear record. Whatever you use, respond quickly. An acknowledgement within hours, even before a fix, makes a big difference.

🔧 Be upfront about repairs

Uncertainty is the main cause of tenant frustration. When something breaks:

• Say what happens next and roughly how long it’ll take
• Confirm contractor visits in advance
• Follow up once the job’s done
• If there’s a delay, say so before the tenant has to chase

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, standards and enforcement are getting tougher, so a clear record of when issues were reported and resolved matters more than ever.

🗓️ Keep tenants informed

Give notice of inspections, safety checks and any work at the property. Small updates make tenants feel considered, and they cut down on missed appointments and access problems.

🤝 Deal with problems early and calmly

Late rent, noise complaints or a messy garden are much easier to resolve with a calm conversation early on than a formal letter later. Be fair, stick to the facts and put agreements in writing.

💬 Ask for feedback

A quick message after a repair or inspection, asking how things are, tells you more about the property than you’d expect. It also shows tenants their experience matters, which helps you keep the good ones.

🗂️ Keep a record

Keep key messages, reports and agreements in one place, not scattered across texts and calls. If there’s ever a dispute over the deposit, repairs or possession, your records are your evidence.

🏘️ A note for HMO landlords

In shared houses, communication also has to work between tenants. House rules, a cleaning rota for shared areas and a clear process for raising issues with housemates go a long way.

👋 How Portus handles it

Communication is at the heart of our full property management service. Tenants report issues through our portal, we keep them updated until the job is done, and you get the same visibility as a landlord, without the phone calls. Get in touch or call us on 0151 329 3538.