Written by
Sarah Nguyen
Published on
Jan 31, 2026
Landlords and letting agents often talk past each other when it comes to maintenance.
Agents focus on operational details: contractor schedules, tenant access, job completion. Landlords care about something different: their investment, their costs, their risk.
Understanding what landlords actually want to know — not just what you're used to telling them — transforms maintenance communication from a source of friction into a relationship strength.
The landlord perspective
Most landlords aren't property management experts. They're investors who happen to own rental property. Their concerns are:
Financial: What is this costing me? Is it reasonable? Are there surprises coming?
Risk: Is my property being looked after? Am I exposed to compliance issues? Could something go badly wrong?
Control: Am I being kept informed? Do I have input on significant decisions? Can I trust the people managing my asset?
Value: Am I getting good service for what I'm paying? Would I be better off elsewhere?
Every maintenance interaction is filtered through these concerns. An agent who understands this communicates very differently from one who doesn't.
What landlords want to know (and when)
When an issue is reported
What they want to know:
What's the problem?
How serious is it?
What happens next?
Do they need to do anything?
What they don't need:
Every operational detail
Blow-by-blow updates on scheduling
Information that doesn't require their input
Good communication:
"Tenant at Oak Street reported a leak under the kitchen sink this morning. I've arranged for a plumber to attend tomorrow. Likely a straightforward repair — I'll update you once we know more. No action needed from you at this stage."
Brief, reassuring, clear on next steps.
When decisions are needed
What they want to know:
What are the options?
What does each option cost?
What do you recommend?
What are the risks of each approach?
What they don't need:
To make decisions you should be making
Excessive technical detail
To feel like they're doing your job
Good communication:
"The plumber found the leak is from a corroded section of pipe under the sink. Two options:
Patch repair: £150. Fixes the immediate issue but the surrounding pipework is also showing age.
Replace the undersink pipework: £350. More comprehensive fix, should last 15+ years.
My recommendation is Option 2 — it's better value long-term and avoids a likely return visit in 6-12 months. Happy to proceed unless you'd prefer otherwise."
Clear options, clear recommendation, easy to approve.
When work is completed
What they want to know:
Is the problem fixed?
What did it cost?
Is there anything else they should know?
Any follow-up needed?
What they don't need:
Lengthy descriptions of routine work
Contractor details they didn't ask for
Information that doesn't affect them
Good communication:
"Leak at Oak Street fixed. Undersink pipework replaced as discussed. Cost: £350 as quoted. No further issues identified. Invoice attached."
Job done. Landlord informed. Moving on.
When there are compliance requirements
What they want to know:
What needs to happen?
When does it need to happen by?
What are the consequences of non-compliance?
What will it cost?
Is this being handled?
What they don't need:
To research regulations themselves
To manage the compliance process
To worry about things you're already handling
Good communication:
"Your gas safety certificate at Oak Street expires on 15th March. I've booked the annual service for 10th March. Expected cost: £75-85. The engineer will issue a new certificate valid for 12 months. I'll send you a copy once complete."
Proactive, competent, handled.
When there are problems
What they want to know:
What went wrong?
What's being done about it?
What are the implications?
Is this likely to recur?
What are you doing to prevent it happening again?
What they don't need:
Excuses
Blame-shifting
Defensiveness
To feel like they need to step in and manage
Good communication:
"I need to let you know about an issue at Oak Street. The contractor we sent for the boiler repair didn't resolve the problem fully, and the tenant has been without heating for an additional two days while we arranged a return visit.
The issue is now fixed, and I've spoken to the contractor about what went wrong. We're not charging for the return visit. I've also followed up with the tenant to apologise for the delay.
We're reviewing our process for confirming repairs are complete before closing jobs. I'm sorry this one wasn't handled as well as it should have been."
Honest, accountable, solution-focused.
The questions landlords actually ask
Pay attention to the questions landlords ask repeatedly — they reveal gaps in your communication.
"Why did this cost so much?" → You're not explaining costs clearly enough upfront
"Why wasn't I told about this?" → Your threshold for communication is too high
"Is this really necessary?" → You're not explaining the reasoning behind recommendations
"What's happening with [issue]?" → Your updates aren't frequent enough or aren't reaching them
"Who approved this?" → Your approval process isn't clear
"Can I see the invoice?" → You're not sharing documentation proactively
Each repeated question is an opportunity to improve your standard communication.
Different landlords, different needs
Not all landlords want the same level of detail.
The hands-off landlord
Wants: Minimal contact, maximum trust, to not think about the property Needs: Reassurance that everything is handled, alerts only for significant issues Communication style: Brief updates, proactive handling, only escalate when necessary
The hands-on landlord
Wants: Visibility, involvement in decisions, to feel in control Needs: Regular updates, options presented, their input valued Communication style: More frequent contact, detailed information, collaborative decision-making
The nervous landlord
Wants: Reassurance, to know nothing is going wrong, every detail Needs: Frequent confirmation that things are fine, quick responses to queries Communication style: Proactive updates even when nothing is happening, thorough explanations
The portfolio landlord
Wants: Efficiency, overview rather than detail, systematic reporting Needs: Aggregated information, trends, to not be buried in individual updates Communication style: Monthly summaries, exception-based reporting, strategic recommendations
Early in a relationship, ask landlords how they prefer to be communicated with. Then adapt accordingly.
What not to do
Don't surprise them
Surprises destroy trust. A £2,000 repair bill that arrives without warning feels very different from one that was discussed in advance.
Even if you have authority to approve work up to a certain amount, consider giving landlords a heads-up for anything significant.
Don't hide problems
Landlords find out eventually. If you've made a mistake or something has gone wrong, tell them before they discover it themselves.
Bad news delivered proactively is manageable. Bad news discovered independently destroys relationships.
Don't overwhelm them
There's a balance between too little communication and too much. Landlords don't want to hear about every minor repair or routine interaction.
Reserve detailed communication for:
Issues that affect their finances significantly
Decisions that require their input
Problems they need to know about
Compliance matters
Anything they've specifically asked to be informed about
Don't make them chase
If a landlord has to chase you for information, you've already failed. Proactive communication should mean they never need to ask "what's happening with...?"
Don't be defensive
When landlords question costs or decisions, don't treat it as an attack. They're managing their investment. Questions are reasonable.
Respond with information, not defensiveness. If you can't justify a decision or cost, that's worth reflecting on.
Building long-term trust
Maintenance is where landlord relationships are won or lost. Get it right, and landlords trust you with their asset. Get it wrong, and they leave — often without telling you why.
The landlords who stay longest are those who:
Feel informed without being overwhelmed
Trust your judgment on day-to-day decisions
Know you'll escalate appropriately when needed
Believe you're acting in their interest
See value in your service
This trust is built through hundreds of small interactions. Every maintenance update, every cost explanation, every decision recommendation either builds or erodes it.
Using systems to communicate better
Consistent, high-quality communication is hard to maintain manually across a portfolio. Technology helps by:
Automatically notifying landlords at key milestones
Providing landlord portals with real-time visibility
Generating reports without manual effort
Ensuring nothing falls through the cracks
Creating records of all communication
When your systems support good communication, it happens by default rather than requiring constant effort.
Lanten keeps landlords informed automatically — from issue reported through to resolution — with the right level of detail at the right time. No chasing, no surprises, complete visibility. Book a demo to see how it works.
