Dealing with difficult tenants, or at least, knowing how to handle difficult tenants, is part and parcel of being a landlord. Even if you had meticulously
screened your tenant, sometimes when things change people can respond in ways you do not expect.
Who is a difficult tenant? A troublesome tenant is someone who continues to be an issue for you. You may find yourself spending as much time dealing with
this particular tenant as you do on all you other tenants combined. They take up your attention and sap your energy and make you feel as though you
are working overtime always for the rent you get in return.
Every landlord needs to have a good action plan in place to identify and deal with problematic tenants. You may not have a bad tenant today but the longer
you remain a landlord, the more likely you will encounter one someday. Renting is a people business. Naturally, most issues do not have a clear
cut solution. That said, this list of dos and don’ts will help you start working out your own response plan to difficult tenants.
1. Don’t stereotype difficult tenants
Difficult tenants come in all shapes and sizes. You could get one who is the garden variety party-loving-late-paying-always-has-an-excuse or a type-A-slightly-OCD-ring-you-up-EVERYDAY-to-complain
tenant. Either day, a difficult tenant is someone who is continuously an issue for you. Do this quick exercise, say the name of each of your
tenants out loud. The names that immediately send you into a spiral of mind-frenzy and dread are likely to be of those who are your difficult tenants.
Flag these people as those you need to manage thoughtfully and particularly.
Related article: 10 warning signs of a bad tenant...
