How to Encourage Tenants to Report Repairs Promptly

December 18, 2025

How to Encourage Tenants to Report Repairs Promptly

Key Takeaways

• *Tenants themselves offer your greatest chance of catching issues early and making timely repairs.
• *Tenants may not report repairs on time for a number of reasons that you can address through some best practices.
• *Efforts like clear lease terms, thorough tenant screening and onboarding, simple and responsive communication, and proactive maintenance and inspections can make all the difference. 
• *When you treat a tenant with care and consideration, they’re more likely to reflect that care back to you and your rental property.

Owning a well-maintained rental property means lower potential cost, lower vacancy rates, and higher return-on-investment. For most landlords, constant care for the systems and structures of their property doesn’t pose the greatest issue. Reasonable maintenance costs are just part of the business! What does occasionally pose problems for rental property owners is when those maintenance issues aren’t detected in time.

The longer it takes to detect a maintenance issue, the higher the cost of fixing them will be. As issues worsen, such as a leaky pipe that gradually deteriorates, they pose a greater damage risk to the surrounding areas, or even the building itself.

Early detection of problems in your rental property will help to minimize their impact on your building, tenants, and bottom line. The question is: How do you identify problems before they create costly damage?

Thanks to the extensive experience our J. Butler Property Management team has, we know the answer, and it may surprise you. Your tenants, in fact, present the best opportunity for early detection of potentially damaging maintenance issues in your rental property.

Looking for Expert Property Management Services? Contact Us Today!

Why Tenants are the Key to More Efficient Rental Property Maintenance

• Tenants interact with the property daily: Tenants are in constant contact with the features of the building. Unlike landlords, who may only pop in from time to time, tenants use the features of the property every day and can recognize quickly when something isn’t working the way it should.
• Tenants have real user experience: A landlord may only have a general idea of how functional the systems in their rental property are. It’s the tenant who has actual experience using them. In this regard, tenants may have more insight into the repairs that are needed.
• Tenants rely on the building’s systems: When things go wrong in a rental property, it’s the tenant who experiences the immediate effects because they rely on the property’s structures for their daily needs. It is in the tenant’s interest to identify and quickly resolve property issues. 

Even though your tenants are in the best position to detect issues on your property doesn’t mean they will report those problems promptly. Some tenants will report issues only after they’ve degenerated and caused damage, and others may not report problems at all. 

Understanding the multitude of reasons why a tenant may not report a maintenance issue is the first important step to remedying the problem.

Why Your Tenant May Not Report a Maintenance Issue

• • This is a pattern of behaviour: It is possible that a landlord’s selection process lacks the rigor and thoroughness needed to identify a responsible tenant. Tenants with a history of defaulting on rent or damaging their rented home may also fail to report maintenance issues to their landlord.
  • Tenants fear being blamed: Even the best tenants will put off submitting repair requests if they think the landlord will blame them for those problems. If a landlord demonstrates a lack of understanding and fairness when determining financial responsibility for repairs, tenants will be hesitant to report future problems.
  • They don’t expect a response: When a landlord is quick to respond to tenants’ repair requests, those tenants will be encouraged to report problems as soon as they happen. But if there’s a history of unanswered, delayed, or incomplete repair requests, the tenants may not submit new ones.
  • The reporting process is complex: If the system for submitting repair requests is inaccessible, tenants may avoid using them. This leads to delays in reporting maintenance issues or complete failure to bring those problems to the landlord’s attention

But don’t be discouraged! As a landlord, you aren’t without the tools to improve this reporting dynamic. Read on for some tips and tricks to addressing prompt tenant maintenance reports.

Six Strategies for Encouraging Tenants to Report Repair Needs

1. A Detailed Lease Agreement

The lease agreement outlines the terms of your relationship with your tenants. Among other things, the agreement should clearly explain the tenant’s roles and responsibilities in relation to the landlord’s roles and responsibilities. Tenants must understand their responsibility to report maintenance issues on the property, as well as the consequences of failing to do so. For instance, the lease should explicitly describe how a tenant’s failure to report a problem may affect the return of their security deposit.

2. Comprehensive Tenant Screening

Renters who have a history of paying the rent on time are often more considerate renters on all fronts. These tenants typically take better care of their rented space and will cooperate with the landlord to keep the property in top shape. Proper vetting of prospective tenants will help you detect irresponsible tenants and avoid these issues altogether.

3. Meticulous Tenant Onboarding

A detailed onboarding process ensures that the lease agreement has the desired effect of protecting you, your tenant, and your rental. It is vital to walk new tenants through the details of how your rental agreement is carried out so that everyone is on the same page. Explain the contents of the lease, how to use/care for certain features of the rental that may pose the most risk for costly repairs, and the system for submitting repair requests, including accurate emergency contacts.

4. Efficient Communication Systems

Your communication systems should be easy to use and based on technologies that your tenants already use, like online portal chat, SMS, email, and phone. When tenants submit requests, they should receive an acknowledgment of their request with a realistic timeline of when they can expect the problem to be addressed. After repairs are completed, follow-up communication gives you and your tenant peace of mind.

5. Proactive Maintenance Approach

A preventive maintenance strategy lets you nip problems in the bud instead of waiting on tenants to report them. Preventative maintenance can include regular servicing of appliances, periodic replacement of aging fixtures, and thorough examination of the property between renters. This proactive approach prevents rather than corrects problems, helping you minimize the number of repair requests by tenants and reducing maintenance costs.

6. Scheduled Property Inspections

Seasonal inspections should be included as a clause on your lease agreement. If tenants know their rented home will be inspected periodically, they are motivated to take better care of the property and also report any issues in the building on time. Make sure tenants understand that if significant issues are identified in these inspections that could have been prevented with prompt reporting, they may be responsible for repair costs.  

The Bottom Line

One of the trickier aspects of owning rental property is not always knowing whether a tenant is treating your property with the same care and attention you would treat it with. But as a landlord, it is ultimately your responsibility to care for your rental. Through attentive tenant screening and onboarding, clear and open communication lines, and regular property check-ins and upkeep, you can improve your chances of prompt tenant maintenance reports.

Perhaps the most effective piece of advice we can give you is to never lose sight of the fact that your tenants, like you, want to be treated with fairness and consideration. The best strategy for getting your tenants to report repairs on time is keeping them happy by showing them you value their time and efforts, and that reporting problems on time is as much for them as it is for you.

At J. Butler Property Management, we understand the importance of fostering respectful owner-tenant relationships so that your investment stays well-maintained and profitable. Reach out today to learn more about how we can help you optimize your rental business.

We Want to Help You. Reach Out Today!