Student guide: how to communicate with landlords and property managers

You might have heard horror stories about student landlords being unresponsive, uncaring, and difficult. But that doesn't need to be the case. Just like with any other relationship, communication is key.

Knowing how to communicate with your landlord properly will help avoid misunderstandings or conflicts and help to ensure that your tenancy runs seamlessly.

To help you, we've put together a guide to communicating with your student landlord.

5 ways to establish good communication with your landlord

When talking to your landlord or property manager, bear these quick and easy suggestions in mind and you'll soon see that communication is straightforward and stress-free!

1. Know your rights 

When renting a student property, it's important that you familiarise yourself with the terms of your tenancy agreement so you're aware of all your rights. This will help to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications down the line. 

Remember that your landlord or property manager has a responsibility to resolve urgent issues within twenty-four hours. They must also provide twenty-four hours' notice if they want to enter the property for any reason, be it a property inspection, maintenance visit, or viewing with new prospective tenants. 

If your landlord goes against this, you should bring it up with them and reassert your rights as a renter. 

2. Report maintenance issues efficiently 

Your landlord can't help you with issues in your student house unless they know what's going on. You should report any maintenance issues as soon as they arise, so your landlord can organise a solution as quickly as possible. 

If you delay in reporting problems, they might get worse which will ultimately cause problems for both you and your landlord. Don't be afraid to reach out to your landlord with issues, that's what they're there for. 

3. Keep evidence 

Keep evidence of every interaction you have with your landlord. Take photos of any maintenance issues that occur during the course of the tenancy so you have a record of exactly what happened and the solution that was provided. You should also keep a written record of every conversation you have with your landlord, even if it is verbal. This can be as simple as following up a phone call with a quick email summarising the key points that were discussed.

It might seem like a pain, but if a dispute ever arises between you and your landlord, your evidence will help you resolve it more efficiently. 

4. Respond promptly 

Treat others as you would like to be treated, right? You would expect your landlord to reply to you quickly, so treat them with the same respect. If they reach out to you asking a question or trying to organise a property visit, don't just leave them hanging. Reply as promptly as you can so all parties can get organised. 

5. Be calm and polite  

When problems arise in your home, it can be an extremely difficult and stressful experience. But no matter how frustrated you are, make sure that you always remain respectful and polite. You can advocate for yourself, assert your rights, and request that issues be sorted quickly without losing your cool. Remaining calm and collected will probably mean that your landlord will be more inclined to help you quickly too!

Different ways to communicate with your landlord 

Your landlord or property manager will probably provide you with more than one way to contact them, especially in case of an emergency. When reaching out to them, you should use the primary channels of communication they have provided you with and respect any boundaries they have established, such as only contacting them during working hours (unless, of course, there is an emergency). 

Email

Email is probably the most common way that student tenants and landlords communicate. Email has a lot of benefits: it's quick, easy, professional, and means that there will always be a written record of the conversations you've had. 

Phone

Your landlord will probably provide you with their phone number. When you move into your student property, your landlord will probably tell you how they like to be contacted. Some landlords prefer to only be phoned in case of an emergency, while others use it as their primary channel of communication. The same goes for messaging and texting. 

If you're unsure how your landlord feels about you phoning them, there's absolutely no problem with asking them upfront. 

Tenant app

Some property managers will offer a tenant app, particularly if you live in purpose built student accommodation (PBSA). If you're lucky enough to live in accommodation that offers an app, you should be able to receive notifications, alerts, and broadcast messages from your property manager. The app might even have a direct messaging function to make it easier to report issues.

Want to find out more about how to report maintenance issues in your student home? Check out our guide to student housing repairs.