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Misaligned Expectations

Shalisse
Director of Management Services
·
3 mins read
person holding yellow plastic spray bottle

At Urban City Property Management, we work hard to set clear expectations from the start when placing new tenants. We want everyone to understand their lease, our systems, and any other important details for their tenancy.

However, after reading the review, it became clear that sometimes, no matter how much we try to relay information upfront, things can still slip through the cracks. We want to acknowledge the frustration and take responsibility for the parts of this experience that fell short.

What Went Wrong: Cleaning and Maintenance Oversights

The tenant wasn’t able to see the property in person before moving in since they weren’t local. Unfortunately, this led to some mismatched expectations. The property’s condition in the photos didn’t reflect what they found when they moved in—dirty clothes and bed sheets from the previous tenant were still there, and cleaning hadn’t been up to standard.

Additionally, while we were informed of a maintenance issue towards the end of their stay, it didn’t get resolved in a timely manner, and that’s on us. We also didn’t meet the expectations around deposit return—there were multiple reminders before the deposit was returned, and there were charges for maintenance items that hadn’t been taken care of before the tenant moved in.

How We Handled It: Improving Transparency and Systems

We reached out to the tenant and apologized for the inconveniences. We understood the frustration, especially with the cleaning and maintenance issues. Our goal is always to address concerns quickly, but in this case, we missed the mark.

We’re taking this feedback seriously and have made some changes to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Moving forward, all tenants—especially those who aren’t local—will be required to do a property showing. If they can’t see the property in person, we’ll set up a video walkthrough so they can see the home firsthand before signing the lease. This will help ensure they’re fully aware of the property’s condition before move-in.

Additionally, we’ve revamped our move-in process to ensure all aspects of the lease are reviewed thoroughly and any questions are addressed before the move-in date. We’re also implementing a move-in questionnaire that will be filled out by the tenant, making sure everyone is on the same page about the home’s condition. These steps will help create more transparency and prevent misunderstandings.

The Lesson Learned: Growing and Getting Better

We’re always looking for ways to improve and deliver a better experience. This review highlighted areas where we can do better, and we’re grateful for the chance to learn and grow from it. These changes are simple but powerful, and we’re confident they’ll help set us on the right path to creating raving fans in the future.