By David McMaster, Head of Lettings at Watsons Property
How to Handle Difficult Conversations With Tenants
In Part 4 of The Landlord Series, we looked at the structure behind good day-to-day property management. This edition considers the moments when that structure is tested: when a landlord needs to raise a difficult issue, or respond to one raised by a tenant.
Some parts of letting a property are largely procedural. Checks are completed, rent is recorded and repairs are logged. Other moments call for judgement as well as process.
A rent increase must be communicated and handled correctly. Late rent needs an early response. Repair delays can become contentious when expectations are vague. Access, complaints, changes to the tenancy and plans to recover possession all require care.
Good landlord communication with tenants does not mean avoiding firm decisions. It means dealing in facts, following the correct process and leaving both parties clear about what happens next.
Start with the process, not the emotion
Difficult conversations often deteriorate when facts, assumptions and frustration become mixed together.
Before contacting a tenant, a landlord should be able to answer four questions:
- What has happened?
- What evidence or record supports that understanding?
- What needs to happen next, and by when?
- Does a contractual or statutory process apply?
This preparation changes the tone of the exchange. The conversation becomes less about blame and more about resolving a defined issue.
Early contact is usually better than silence. It gives both sides an opportunity to correct a misunderstanding, explain a delay or agree a practical next step before positions harden.
Rent increases: explain the decision, but follow the process
Rent reviews can be uncomfortable, particularly where a tenancy has been stable and the relationship is positive. That is not a reason to leave the subject until it becomes urgent.
Since 1 May 2026, most private assured tenancies in England have operated as assured periodic tenancies. Landlords must normally use the statutory section 13 process to increase the rent. This includes using Form 4A, giving at least two months’ notice and limiting increases to once a year. The first increase cannot take effect during the first 12 months of a new tenancy. A tenant may challenge a proposed increase if they believe it is above the open-market rent.
Good communication should sit alongside that process. It can explain:
- the evidence used to assess the market rent
- when the property was last reviewed
- the proposed amount and effective date
- who the tenant can contact with a question
The aim is not to persuade a tenant that an increase is welcome. It is to show that the proposal has been considered, supported by evidence and communicated properly.
An informal discussion does not replace the prescribed notice or legal process. Landlords should check the latest GOV.UK guidance on rent increases before acting, as requirements can vary in less common tenancy arrangements.
Late rent: establish the facts early
The first contact about late rent should establish what has happened, not assign a motive.
A payment may have been overlooked, delayed by a banking issue or affected by a wider financial problem. None of those possibilities changes the amount due, but each may call for a different practical response.
The initial communication should normally:
- identify the missed payment date and outstanding balance
- ask whether payment has already been made
- invite the tenant to explain any problem affecting payment
- give a reasonable date for a response or update
- record what is agreed
If the difficulty is temporary, a landlord may consider a repayment arrangement. Any arrangement should be realistic, confirmed in writing and reviewed against the wider circumstances. Professional advice may be needed before an agreement is made.
Repeated or material arrears call for a more formal response. Landlords considering recovery or possession action should follow the current statutory process and take appropriate legal advice. Threatening action prematurely, or using language that does not reflect the legal position, rarely helps.
For a closer look at prevention and early intervention, read Watsons’ guide to rent arrears and proactive property management.
Repairs: give certainty where it exists
Repair conversations contain two separate questions: what the landlord is responsible for, and how the work will be organised.
From the tenant’s perspective, a broken boiler, water ingress or an electrical fault is more than a maintenance job. It may be affecting the use, safety or comfort of their home. From the landlord’s perspective, the cause, urgency, cost and availability of a suitable contractor may not yet be clear.
The most useful first response is therefore not an unsupported promise. It is a prompt acknowledgement and a credible next step.
That usually means:
- confirming that the report has been received
- gathering the information needed to assess urgency
- explaining what will happen next
- giving a realistic timescale where one is known
- setting a date for the next update where it is not
- recording access arrangements and completed work
Landlords remain responsible for important categories of repair and for keeping a property safe and free from health hazards. The appropriate response will depend on the seriousness of the issue and the circumstances. Current GOV.UK repair guidance should be checked where responsibility or urgency is uncertain.
A delay is easier to manage when it is explained. Silence leaves the tenant to assume that nothing is happening.
Access: treat it as coordination, not a demand
Landlords may need access for repairs, inspections, safety checks or other legitimate purposes. Tenants are also entitled to use their home without unnecessary intrusion.
Except in an emergency, a landlord must give at least 24 hours’ notice and visit at a reasonable time of day. In practice, a good access request should also state:
- why access is needed
- who will attend
- the proposed date and time window
- how the tenant can suggest a reasonable alternative
Notice should be clear and preferably given in writing. It should not be framed as though the tenant’s availability is irrelevant.
If access is repeatedly refused, landlords should keep a record of each reasonable attempt and seek professional advice before escalating the matter. Notice alone should not be treated as permission to force entry, except where genuine emergency access is required.
Complaints: separate the issue from the tone
A complaint does not have to be expressed perfectly to contain a valid concern. Equally, a forceful message does not make every claim within it correct.
The first task is to narrow the issue down:
- What exactly has happened?
- Which points can be verified?
- What outcome is the tenant seeking?
- What sits within the landlord’s or managing agent’s control?
A useful response acknowledges the complaint, summarises the issue as understood and gives a date for a considered reply. It does not need to settle every point immediately.
Landlords should avoid making promises only to bring an uncomfortable exchange to an end. It is better to commit to a clear review and update than to offer an answer that later has to be withdrawn.
Where a formal complaints procedure applies, it should be followed consistently and the tenant should be told what the next stage is.
Tenancy changes and plans to recover possession
The language of “renewal” has changed for most private tenancies in England. Since 1 May 2026, most assured tenancies have operated on a rolling basis, and an earlier fixed end date no longer brings the tenancy to an automatic close.
There may still be important conversations about changes to the arrangement: a request for a pet, an additional occupier, an agreed change to the written terms, a tenant’s intention to leave, or a landlord’s need to recover the property.
These discussions need clarity, but the conversation itself is not the legal process.
The end of an earlier fixed term does not give a landlord an automatic right to recover possession. To do so, they must rely on a valid statutory ground and follow the prescribed section 8 procedure. The evidence and notice period depend on the ground being used.
Landlords should take appropriate advice before serving notice or making commitments about an end date. The latest GOV.UK guide to ending an assured periodic tenancy sets out the current framework.
When communication should become formal
Not every issue needs a formal letter at the outset. Some matters, however, should never be left to an informal exchange alone.
Written communication becomes particularly important where:
- arrears are repeated or increasing
- a rent increase or tenancy change is subject to a prescribed process
- responsibility for a repair is disputed
- access has been refused more than once
- a complaint is escalating
- either party may later need an accurate chronology
- possession action is being considered
Formal does not mean hostile. It means dated, specific and tied to a clear next step.
Where the law requires a prescribed notice, form or procedure, an email or telephone conversation is not a substitute. Professional advice may be needed if the legal position is unclear.
Where property management earns its value
The value of management is often found in unremarkable details: a repair acknowledged on time, a contractor chased, a rent record checked or a conversation documented before it becomes contentious.
A well-run management process should provide:
- a clear route for tenants to report an issue
- consistent triage and escalation
- organised maintenance and contractor updates
- active rent monitoring
- inspection and communication records
- a defined response when an issue becomes sensitive
These are also useful tests for a self-managing landlord. The question is not only whether each task can be completed. It is whether it can be completed consistently, alongside every other demand on the tenancy.
Some landlords want support only at the start of a tenancy. Others want to retain oversight while a managing agent handles the day-to-day work. Full management is most useful where the landlord values a consistent operating structure as much as the time saved.
Rent and legal protection: part of the plan, not a substitute for it
Rent and legal protection may form part of a landlord’s wider approach to financial and legal risk, subject to eligibility and the terms of the policy.
It does not remove the need for sound tenant selection, active rent monitoring, accurate records or the correct legal process. Landlords considering cover should review the exclusions, claim conditions, waiting periods and limits carefully so that they understand what is and is not protected.
A checklist before sending a difficult message
Before contacting a tenant, ask:
- Have I established the facts?
- Do I have the relevant record, invoice, inspection note or payment history?
- Is there a prescribed form, notice period or procedure to follow?
- Am I clear about the outcome I am seeking?
- Have I set a realistic next step and date?
- Is the wording factual, proportionate and free from assumptions?
- Will the exchange be recorded in the tenancy file?
Good communication cannot remove every disagreement. It can prevent uncertainty, delay and poor records from making one harder to resolve.
How Watsons can help
Watsons supports landlords in Norwich and Norfolk through tenant introduction and fully managed lettings.
Ongoing management can include rent monitoring, maintenance coordination, inspections, tenant communication and structured record-keeping throughout the tenancy. Landlords remain informed, while the routine work and more sensitive exchanges are handled through a consistent process.
If you are reviewing how your property is managed, speak to the Watsons lettings team about the level of support that would suit you and the property.
This article provides general information for landlords in England and does not constitute legal advice. Tenancy arrangements and individual circumstances vary. Landlords should check the latest official guidance and seek appropriate professional advice before taking legal action or serving notice.
Contact Us
For further information on the current property market and ongoing legislation changes, or to speak with one of our experts, please email the following:
- Lettings: letting@watsons-property.co.uk
- Valuation & Survey Team: survey@watsons-property.co.uk
- Property Management:management@watsons-property.co.uk
Or call us on 0333 220 1234
