Should You Say 'No' to Tenants and How do You do it?

Landlords should be aware that being able to say “no” to tenants is really important to running a business. It’s crucial to make decisions that make sense for your business and to always be an effective manager of your business in order to be successful first and foremost. Saying “no” could mean the difference between a profitable business and a declining one, and landlords should understand that it’s not always in their business’s best interest to be a people pleaser.

How to say “No”

Saying “no” is all about showing a tenant that you are not going to be a pushover and that you are in control of your business. Tenants will appreciate when you do say “yes” and will eventually understand when a request is fair or asking too much. Be sure when saying “no” that if you do apologize, only do so once and not excessively so as to not seem open to negotiation.

Additional tips include:

• Always turn down the request politely, clearly, and not in a negative manner
• Keep the focus on the request, not the tenant, so to convey that you are turning down the request based on business rather than putting down the person
• Give a clear explanation as to why or why not, so the tenant realizes it’s not open for negotiation and they will be more accepting of your “no”
• Keep your voice firm and make eye contact so that your body language shows you are to be taken seriously

Scenarios in which a landlord should say “no”

When tenants ask for immediate assistance frequently, you can eliminate this problem by realizing that only safety hazards are considered urgent and are legally to be cared for immediately. If a tenant wants to add someone to a lease that appears to be a problem to the property and neighbors, the tenant has every right to deny this request. Finally, a tenant that is trying to pay their rent late and is requesting more time before being evicted should not be guaranteed the landlord’s permission.

While tenants are going to make various requests to best suit their needs or because they want a favor, landlords must always first consider what is best for their business. Learning to say “no” is highly important to be an effective business owner.