How To Get Great Tenant Reviews: Landlord Dos and Don’ts

As a landlord, you may not think much about tenant reviews. But in this digital age, where people check reviews online for just about anything before they commit, getting renters’ reviews is crucial to your success as a landlord.

One bad review from a previous tenant, and you can instantly scare off future renters and get stuck with an empty property (and bank account!).

On the other hand, if you make an effort to rack up a nice pile of positive tenant reviews, you’ll gain more visibility on renter websites, attract better tenants, and, ultimately, get those properties filled faster.

So, how can you get better reviews from current, past, and potential tenants? What should you avoid? Keep reading to find out!

4 ways to get better tenant reviews

Have negative renters’ reviews impacted your business? Want to attract more tenants to your listings? Check out our top tips for getting better tenant reviews below.

#1 Thoroughly clean your property

For property showings and your tenant’s move-in day, you must welcome them into a sparkling-clean property. If you’re letting an apartment, make sure all the common areas are clean and tidy too!

#2 Be flexible with move-in/out dates

Moving homes is one of the most stressful times in people’s lives. So don’t add to that stress by being too rigid with the time and date they can move in and out. Try to work around their schedule.

#3 Make a warm first impression

What do you want tenants to say about the letting process in your renter reviews? Think of ways to treat them kindly and leave a great first impression to boost those positive reviews. Maybe a welcome gift? Or even a little guide to their local area can go a long way!

#4 Ask your tenants for feedback

If you don’t ask, sometimes, you don’t get! Make sure you get in touch with current and previous renters with whom you had good relationships.

Explain to them why getting reviews is essential for you (and future tenants), and ask them kindly if they’d write a review for you. You can even send them links to the most popular landlord review sites to make the process easier.

4 things to avoid if you want positive tenant reviews

Now you know what you should do to encourage renters to leave good reviews, here’s what you absolutely should not do if you want those all-important 5-star landlord ratings.

#1 Misrepresent your property

Any renter can tell you how shady it feels when a landlord gives false information about their property, like saying there’s a dishwasher when there isn’t!

Renters might also label you a “scammer” in their reviews if you post images that look nothing like the real property. Make sure you’re being honest; renters will respect you for this.

#2 Communicate poorly

If your tenant is getting in touch with you about something, avoid taking an age to reply. They want their issues solved in a timely manner.

This is especially true if your tenant’s issue is related to property maintenance or their money. Take too long to get back to your tenants, and you’re simply begging for bad renter reviews!

#3 Ignore landlord laws

Finally, but most importantly, make sure you know what your obligations are as a landlord and follow the strict set of landlord laws outlined by the UK government.

These laws include having the proper property certificates for each property you let, like EICR and gas safety certificates. If you don’t, you can face thousands in fines.

#4 Leave tenant reviews on “seen”

If you receive poor reviews from previous tenants, it’s never a good idea to ignore them. Not replying to negative reviews will signal to potential tenants that you don’t care about the happiness of your tenants.

So, whether you receive good or bad renter reviews, always reply to them, either thanking them for their kind feedback or showing them you want to improve if they have something negative to say.

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Our platform ensures your properties are always in the best shape for tenants and allows you to spend less time managing certificates and more time keeping tenants happy, resulting in better reviews!

From managing tenant communications and keeping a digital record of all certificates to sending renewal notices and inspection reminders, Symple is your all-in-one solution to property certificate management.

Visit Symple to see how it works, and order your certificates online today.