2. Behave As If You and Your Tenant Are on the Same Team A great tip is to remember the landlord and the tenant should both be on the same page and working together. No one wants to be in debt and the uncertainty of not knowing whether one will have a roof over their head is daunting. Collaborating with a tenant to collect past due rent is the best option. Flexibility is a reality we all had to learn in 2020. Negotiating with a tenant on a repayment plan, rent relief programs, debt forgiveness, and moratoriums were not commonplace prior to 2020, but are now required in numerous municipalities. Helping your tenant find assistance helps you as well and negotiating partial rent payments is better than not receiving any rent at all.
3. Practice Active Listening and Ask
"What does your financial situation look like in the next week/month/few weeks?" This question will help you assess if the situation is temporary and it may reveal whether a tenant is motivated to seek work. tenant requires. It will assist you in understanding the tenant’s position more effectively. You may feel the impulse to rush through a difficult conversation or try to make your points heard but taking the time to listen and understand your tenant can help diffuse tension. Avoid using accusations, overly negative comments, or making things personal. Be sure to hear their view without agreeing, disagreeing, defending, or passing judgment, and get into their mindset and how what they are saying makes sense for them. After your conversation take a step
the Right Questions
"How short of the full rental payment are you?" Phrasing the question this way will make the tenant more likely to respond with an amount which can be a starting point for negotiation of a rent deferral agreement. "How may I help you?" This question will also apprise you of how much or how little assistance a Have a conversation with your tenant and ask open- ended questions. An open- ended question is a great way to signal your interest in the tenant’s response and it helps encourage the tenant to inform you of what likely may be occurring. Here are some neutral open- ended questions to consider asking your tenants behind on rent:
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