A new landlord letter introduces the residents of a property to their new landlord and/or professional property management company. This letter is a valuable and essential way to connect with your tenants, provide helpful information, outline processes, and establish some expectations and ground rules.
When Should You Write a New Landlord Letter?
As a rental property owner, you should send a new landlord letter when welcoming new tenants into a property that you own, or when you acquire a new property and take ownership of an established rental agreement with existing tenants.
If you manage the property yourself, the letter should come from you. If you (wisely) employ the services of a property manager, the letter should come from them—as it should if you transition management to a property manager anytime.
In either case, keep in mind that this letter represents one of the earliest interactions with your tenants, so it plays an important role in instilling tenant trust in your capabilities—while setting the proper tone for your relationship going forward.
What Should a New Landlord Letter Include?
As an introduction between you and a property resident (or group of residents), the template you use for your new landlord letter should address general matters and expectations around management of the property, rather than specific situations related to a certain location or tenant. The tone should be clear, informative, and professional, and the focus should be on informing residents of some basic regulations and expectations.
To get you started, we’ll include a free download of the template we at Epic Property Management use when we take over management of a new property and need to communicate about the change.
Let’s look at some key sections you may want to include in your new landlord letter:
Announcement
At first, it can be disconcerting for a tenant to receive an official letter from a landlord or property-management company, so it’s essential to get straight to the point and offer necessary reassurances in a clear and concise manner.
>> Related: The Ultimate New Landlord Checklist
For example, when we takeover ownership of a property that has an existing lease, we open our announcement letter to the tenants as follows:
This letter is to inform you that effective [date], Epic Property Management, LLC will begin providing management services for your property. This change will have no impact on your lease and the terms of your tenancy will remain unchanged.
Introduce Yourself and Your Services
Keep in mind that your new landlord letter is a means by which you can share info about yourself or your property management company while assuring your tenants of the service they will receive. It’s important to specify exactly what those services are, so your tenants know what you will handle going forward.
Mention each service specifically, such as
- Rent collection
- Handling of correspondence
- Management of maintenance matters
As an optional addition, you can consider the possibility of including a line or 2 about your level of experience or your standards of excellence.
Expectations Surrounding the Collection of Rent
It’s imperative that your new landlord letter outline any details related to rent, including how rent will be collected. List every available method of paying rent in a detailed list that includes all necessary information to submitting a payment, such as
- Addresses
- Account numbers
- Phone numbers
- Website links
- Click-by-click instructions
- Etc.
Importantly, you must make clear the date on which these new rent-collection methods will take effect for the tenant. For example:
Beginning with your July 1st rent payment, all rent will now be paid by one of the following options:
And of course, it’s valuable to reiterate the expectations around rent-payment timing, as well as consequences for late payments, as outlined in the lease agreement.
Maintenance Processes
In addition to listing the contact information for you or your property management company, be sure to provide a detailed explanation of how tenants can handle maintenance requests going forward.
You can even enclose a business card or fridge magnet with simple maintenance-request instructions. This doubles as a friendly gesture and can improve communication going forward.
Information You Need from Tenants
If you require any information from the current residents, include your request for information in this letter. This can be done by attaching a tenant update form, providing a link to an online portal, or simply specifying the information needed within the body of your letter, and requesting an e-mail. For example:
If you have updated tenant information or any of the information listed in this letter is incorrect, please reach out to [email address]. Please include your [information you want from your tenant (i.e.: phone number, email, number of tenants in the unit, pets, unit number, etc)].
Your Current Contact Information
Obviously, it’s essential for your new tenants to have all relevant contact information for yourself or your property management partner. Be sure to include every available channel, as different tenants have different preferences. And most importantly, ensure those channels are actively monitored by professional, experienced property-management staff. You can include a section like this in your letter:
If you have any questions on your lease agreement, requests for our maintenance team, or other property-related issues, please reach out to [applicable contact information] and be sure to provide [useful info, such as name, address with unit number, phone number, etc]. Please allow our team [response time window] to respond to your messages.
And also list all contact information at the bottom of your letter, for ease of future reference.
Friendly Closing
T.S. Eliot famously wrote, “The end is where we start from.” Remember that the final words of your letter complete your first impression.
We like to continue with our clear, businesslike tone, but strike a friendly and accessible note at closing. For example:
We look forward to working with you and continuing to provide a quality home for you and your family. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Pass It On: New Landlord Letter Info & More
Creating a new landlord letter will help you and your tenants reach an understanding on the fundamental rules of your building, give the residents a useful rundown of helpful and needed information, and provide an opportunity for you to introduce yourself in a way that can help build a positive rapport.
If you would like to read an example of a new landlord letter, check out our change-in-management template as a starting point:
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