Do the way property managers handle the cleaning of a rental affect the attitude of tenants or prospective tenants?

 Yes, it does.

 How?

 One of the worst things about living in a rented property is that tenants have very little control over how the home is run. Yet people, in general, want to have a measure of influence over how the space they work, play or live in is designed, or created.

 But this is usually not possible in a rental because though the tenants live in the home, they are not financially responsible for its maintenance. As a result, landlords and property managers find it necessary to limit a tenant’s freedom to take certain actions.

 This is because any issues that result from the tenants’ behavior will usually be the landlord’s problem to deal with. It makes sense that the person who will bear the burden for fixing the home should decide what happens in it.

 But how does this affect the tenant’s behavior?

 Even property managers who are new to the business know that tenants can be insanely hard to please. Because tenants are not responsible for many things in a rental, they come to expect a lot more from those who are. This is why small things mean so much to tenants.

 This includes things like the cleanliness of a rental. Given that prospective tenants have no way of gauging what it feels like to actually live in a home, they often use cleanliness as a way of assessing the manager’s competence and responsiveness.

 In this regard, it is not just how clean a home is that is important, but also who does the cleaning. As a rule, tenants prefer it when their rented home is not cleaned by the manager. Why do tenants prefer a home where cleaning is done by a professional cleaner?

 

Why tenants prefer to have professional cleaning in a rental

1.    Professionalism

When tenants see that a manager is paying to have qualified persons handle the cleaning of their home, they are happier to pay the rent. They believe the manager is going out of his/her way to ensure they get value for the money they pay.

2.    Privacy and comfort

Tenants are happier in a home if they have minimal contact with the operator of the rental. This is because they view the manager’s constant presence as an invasion of their privacy. They may actually think the manager is snooping on them.

3.    Mutual respect

Employing a professional cleaning company demonstrates to tenants that a manager takes the property and, by extension, the tenants who live in it seriously. This leads prospective tenants to view the home as a high-quality rental. High quality rentals tend to attract high-quality renters.

4.    Consistent service

Every prospective tenant knows managers will put on a show for their benefit; they go out of their way to clean the home. But tenants always wonder if the manager will maintain that level of service. When tenants see that a manager has a standing agreement with a cleaning company, they can rest easier.

But are these the only reasons why a property manager should employ a professional cleaning company? No, these are just some of the reasons, from a tenant’s point of view. There are also some sound business and professional reasons why hiring a professional cleaning company should be the only option a manager considers.

 

Business reasons for hiring a professional cleaning company

·      Excellent advertisement

Property managers pay a lot of money to advertise the homes under their care. But while they do this, they often neglect the free advertising avenues that are at their disposal.

 Managers do not recognize that the quality of people that work for them is one of the best ways to advertise their homes to prospective tenants. Potential tenants use the caliber of a manager’s team to evaluate the manager.

·      Lower maintenance costs

Rental properties that are professionally cleaned are exposed to less wear and tear. That is because the dust, grime, corrosive chemicals, and biological agents that aid the breakdown of surfaces are removed by a professional cleaner. There are ways this is true. Professional cleaners know the nooks and crannies where to look for dirt. Professional cleaners know how to remove dirt without damaging the material.

·      Accelerated business growth

Before a property owner hands their property to a manager, they assess that manager’s ability to manage the asset. Managers who use the direct method – cleaning by themselves – shoot themselves in the foot.

 There is a limit to how many homes they can competently manage with that approach and owners know that. That is why landlords prefer managers who leverage systems and other people’s expertise to manage their property.

 Finally, property managers who let professional cleaners handle their rentals buy themselves time to grow their network, systems, and business. On the other hand, managers who clean by themselves often do not consider the opportunity cost of their decisions. They only manage to save a little money but this is usually at a cost to the growth of their business.