As a landlord, it is sometimes necessary to prove the value of your property in the face of slander and accusations from former tenants. When presented with the challenge of clearing your good name, a good strategy to follow is that of the three D’s: Deny, Discredit, and Develop. This strategy is a tried and true method of preventing a dissatisfied few from damaging the future growth and prosperity of your property.
Address Problems Head On
With the use of internet review sites, anyone can have their words presented in a public forum, whether they are valid or not. It is incredibly easy for a disgruntled former tenant to thoroughly damage the reputation of you and your property with just a few keystrokes. However, this damage is not irrevocable.
In this instance, silence is your worst enemy. The key is to find as many negative reviews as possible, and comment on them all with your point of view. Do not express anger or resentment at the reviewers. Instead state that you understand why they may have felt dissatisfied, and counter with any efforts you may have made to rectify the situation.
If you did everything imaginable to make your tenants happy, then let that be known, even if they were still unhappy despite your efforts.
Counter Negatives with Positives
After following up on any negative reviews, it is likely that you will receive argumentative responses. Never engage in pointless arguments on a review site. Instead you should focus on countering an irrational reviewer. This should not be done by engaging them personally, but rather by simply arranging for their negative reviews to be countered by positive ones.
You could contact previous tenants with whom you had a good rapport and invite them to leave positive reviews on your behalf. You might also enlist current tenants to leave good reviews by offering one-time discounts on rent.
By sacrificing a few quid from each tenant, you can greatly improve your PR.
Maintain, Refresh and Improve
In the event that your efforts to improve your presence online are successful, you will likely see an increase in prospective tenants. In order to solidify your improved image, it might be beneficial to make some minor improvements to the overall look of the property. This doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Simply planting a few flowers out front, or adding a new coat of paint can refresh the image of your property in the minds of the local community and more importantly, your tenants.
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