As a Theodore property owner, you may have gone through one of the more excruciating features of the job: the ever-demanding renter. Although many tenant complaints should be tackled in a productive and professional manner, you might come across a renter who voices complaints about everything, creating unreasonable requests. If these complaints are all pointing to health problems, your tenant may be a hypochondriac, also known as someone who endures illness anxiety.
A person with hypochondria is someone who experiences obsessive and negative thoughts about their own health. They tend to have several concerns, do a lot of reading and research on health-related issues and may see their surroundings as hostile or hazardous for their health. A lot of their excessive or unreasonable complaints may stem from these behaviors and fears.
Dealing with a hypochondriac can be a demanding task; they tend to have a hard time managing their own urges and will seek constant reassurance about everything around them, which often takes the form of a complaint. They may regularly ask you to verify all sorts of stuff for them, making you as a kind of coping mechanism for their anxieties.
The best way to handle a tenant with an anxiety illness is first, make sure that the home they have leased is properly maintained. Then, determine (and follow regularly) firm guidelines about when, where, and how frequent they can call you. To manage repair requests and other complaints, it’s a good idea to have your renter put them in writing. This helps by making a paper trail of each complaint (and your response) in the event of a dispute and may even drop on the number of inquiries they create.
Although it can be tricky, it’s fundamental to stay courteous and professional and to keep in mind that you are not obligated to come running whenever your tenant commands. Provided that you are confident that the Theodore rental property is being regularly and properly maintained, it’s best to quickly reassure the renter that you will deal with the situation, but depending on what it is, that you will probably tackle it at a later date. Also, you may need to remind the tenant about any relevant lease terms, particularly those that spell out which responsibilities belong to the resident and which belong to the property owner to avoid any false expectations or confusion.
Handling difficult tenants can be on of the least delightful parts of being a landlord. Why not consider letting the professional property managers at Real Property Management Azalea City handle it for you? We will establish that your property is regularly maintained to help alleviate any concerns. We will also manage tenant complaints, clarify and set lease terms, and handle communication between you and your renters in a professional and timely manner. we’ll leave you free to focus on other matters. Would you like to learn more about how we can help you? Please contact us online or call us at 251-345-6224 for more information.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.