A Landlord’s Guide to Handling Tenant Complaints in Tennessee

How do you handle a complaining tenant? 

It can be frustrating to listen to residents file one grievance after another. If they’re justified complaints, that means you have some work to do. If they’re more frivolous, it can be difficult to deal with those tenants. 

Professionalism is essential, however, even if you’re understandably irritated.

We are providing a landlord’s guide to handling tenant complaints in Tennessee. We focus on tenant relationships in order to minimize complaints. While we’re dedicated to holding tenants accountable for their actions and their responsibility to the lease agreement, we also know that satisfied tenants are much easier to deal with. 

Let’s take a look at common tenant complaints and what to do about them.

Common Tenant Complaints Around Maintenance Issues

One of the most frequent complaints from tenants revolves around maintenance issues. Broken appliances, plumbing problems, or heating and cooling malfunctions can quickly become sources of dissatisfaction if not addressed promptly. A proactive and responsive approach to maintenance is critical for several reasons. 

First, it demonstrates a commitment to tenant satisfaction, reinforcing trust and creating a sense of security. 

Second, timely repairs can prevent minor issues from escalating into costly problems, saving you both time and money in the long term. 

Third, maintaining the property in good condition helps ensure that it remains attractive to current and future tenants, reducing vacancy rates. 

By establishing clear communication channels for reporting issues and responding swiftly to repair requests, landlords can effectively mitigate these concerns and maintain a positive rental experience.

Whether it’s a broken stove, a leaking water heater, or a window that won’t open properly, make sure you’re attentive and responsive to avoid those complaints. Maintenance issues should always be addressed promptly. Here’s how we recommend resolving complaints and conflicts around maintenance:

• Create a Maintenance Protocol. Set up a system where tenants can easily report issues. This might be an online portal or a dedicated email address. A transparent system reduces delays and improves communication.

• Respond Quickly. Legally, your property is not habitable if you delay fixing the heating or the plumbing. Treat every maintenance request with a sense of urgency. 
• Schedule Regular Inspections. Preventative maintenance can help catch minor issues before they turn into costly repairs.

Work closely with reliable contractors and tradespeople to ensure high-quality repairs and reduce tenant dissatisfaction. When reliable and professional service providers and vendors show up to solve their problems, tenants will feel supported.

Tenants and Their Noisy Neighbors

Noisy neighbors also top the list of tenant complaints. This is especially common in multifamily properties and apartment buildings, where everyone uses shared walls, common areas, and hallways. 

Usually, we’ll hear complaints about loud music or parties that last well into the night. There might be problems with pets. Barking dogs are mainly a nuisance to tenants. There might be neighbors who argue all the time, or downstairs neighbors could constantly hear the thudding steps of upstairs neighbors.

This might seem like a problem that your tenants should solve between themselves, but that’s not usually the way it works. The tenant who is upset about the noise will likely seek help from you, the landlord. 

Noise complaints often cause tension between tenants, but they’re manageable with proper action. These are some of the steps that we take to resolve noise complaints:

• Investigate First. Get the full story before taking any action. Understand the situation by speaking to all parties involved. Ensure you’re addressing a valid complaint before taking further steps.

• Set Clear Noise Rules. Include quiet hours and noise-related policies in your lease agreements. That way, approaching the tenant who is making the noise will be part of the lease enforcement. You can identify the part of the lease that disallows any noise after 10 or 11 p.m.
• Mediate if Necessary. If the noise issues persist, consider mediating a conversation between the tenants to find a resolution. It might be as easy as letting each side have its say.

For a preventative measure that can avoid noise complaints, try installing insulation or soundproofing materials in walls and floors to minimize noise.

Renewal Time Concerns: Complaints about Rent Increases

Try implementing a sudden and significant rent increase, and of course, you’ll hear from complaining tenants. You’ll also get some pushback if there’s a lack of transparency about why rent was increased. So, before we talk about this, make sure you’re providing enough notice when you raise the rent and doing it when appropriate, i.e., during lease renewal time. 

Most tenants expect the rent to increase when they renew their Tennessee lease agreement. However, a significant jump that doesn’t seem to match the market will cause some friction.

Rent increases are a challenging topic for both landlords and tenants. However, transparency and fairness can help tenants accept these changes more quickly.

• Provide Advance Notice. Follow local or state guidelines to inform tenants well before a rent increase takes effect. Tennessee law requires that you give your tenants 60 days of notice before raising the rent. If they’re renting on a month-to-month lease, it’s 30 days.
• Explain Rent Adjustments. You’re not legally required to defend yourself, but be proactive about explaining why the rent is going up. Explain that property taxes are rising, operating costs have increased, and market trends are simply pushing rates higher. Tenants have access to good information. They’ll know what they’d be paying if they decide to move. 
• Offer Incentives for Long-Term Tenants. To ease the impact of rent hikes, reward loyal tenants by offering lease renewal perks.

Regularly research similar rental properties in your area to ensure your pricing is competitive and justified.

Security Deposit Disputes

“It was like that when I moved in.”

Landlords and rental property owners hear that a lot, especially when they’re making deductions from security deposits for property damage. 

You might disagree with tenants over deductions for cleaning or repairs, and if you’re late returning a security deposit, your tenants will definitely hear about it.

Complaints and disputes about security deposits are common but can be easily managed with proper documentation.

• Document Move-In and Move-Out Condition. Use checklists and take dated photographs to confirm the property’s state before and after tenancy.

• Be Transparent About Deductions. Clearly itemize deductions if withholding any part of the deposit. Share invoices or receipts to strengthen your case.
• Return Deposits on Time. Adhere to the legal requirements for returning deposits to avoid disputes and penalties. In Tennessee, you have 30 days from the date your tenant vacates the property.

Be upfront with security deposit policies at move-in to set proper expectations.

Lack of Communication or Feeling Ignored

There’s no reason for tenants to complain that communication is nonexistent. As a landlord, you need to be proactive and responsive. It’s important that you’re available and accessible and that you ensure your tenants feel heard and supported. If you’ve managed to establish good relationships with residents, complaints of any kind will be minimal. 

Good relationships start with good communication. 

Tenants will complain when they feel their concerns are neglected. If landlords are unresponsive to emails or calls, they’re not going to feel great about their rental experience. We think you can do better if tenants are complaining that you’re impossible to reach or unwilling to communicate. Here are some quick and easy ways to resolve this particular problem:

• Be Easily Reachable. Share precise contact details (including backup options) with tenants for emergencies and non-urgent queries.

• Set Expectations. Outline response times for maintenance requests or tenant inquiries. For example, unless it’s an emergency, your tenants can expect to hear from you within 24 hours.  
• Stay Proactive. Why wait for a complaint? Regularly check in with tenants to identify and address potential concerns before they become problems.

Using technology and specific property management tools can simplify communication and build tenant trust. We have online tenant portals, which make it easy for tenants to reach us or to access any information they need about their rental payments, maintenance requests, and lease agreements. 

Unless you’re enjoying a perfect rental experience, tenant complaints are inevitable. It’s challenging to keep residents happy all of the time. While you’re likely to get a complaint from time to time, responding quickly and effectively can turn those issues into opportunities to strengthen your relationships with renters. 

A proactive and professional approach—paired with clear communication—will help you address issues and contribute to tenant retention and positive word-of-mouth.

Professional property management in Tennessee can help. We spend a lot of time handling and avoiding complaints.

You need a professional property management partner if you’re not feeling especially equipped to deal with tenant complaints and conflicts. We’d like to work with you to ensure that your residents have an enjoyable rental experience. Please contact us at Apex Ventures, Inc. with any questions.