For such a short word, “No” can be extremely difficult to say to residents. Employees are expected to follow the “customer is always right” mentality, but what do you say when the customer is wrong? How do you say no politely?

Saying no is crucial for decision-making on your property, consistency amongst rules for residents, safety, and avoiding conflict. People may tend to steer away from saying no for fear of conflict, but it is a very important aspect of working on a property. What happens when residents want to do something that violates their leasing contract or causes a safety issue? Employees must politely say no when necessary.

 

Refer to written agreements:

If something you are saying no to violates a written agreement, such as a leasing contract or property rules, it is important to refer back to said agreement. Saying no just to say no, or “because I said so” is unacceptable. Employees must have a basis to make decisions on, the simplest being written agreements and codes of conduct for the community.

 

Explain the reason:

Just saying “No” with no explanation can leave residents confused and thinking it is up for debate. Explaining why not, what could happen if they still did the activity of concern, and why they must abide by the employees’ “no” can help the residents understand why the decisions are being made and why the rules are set in place in the first place. The reason may be as simple as referring back to any written agreements, and may be as complicated as explaining fire ordinances; Find the reason and be sure to explain it to residents. Making residents aware of why not could also help to avoid similar situations in the future. They know why you’re saying no, so they won’t ask again or repeat the action. Maybe they’ll even tell others about the situation, spreading the information, and helping to make other residents aware of rules and safety in your community.

 

Be consistent:

If you say “no” to one resident, you have to say the same to all others. Letting something slide “just this once” causes inconsistencies and a lack of residents’ understanding. It also makes it more difficult to say no to others when you let residents break the rules in the past. For example, Mark in one apartment has a dog. His dog is quiet, it’s well-trained, and it’s a small dog. You let Mark keep his dog in his apartment despite the no-pets policy on the property. Then, Mandy in another apartment wants to keep her loud German Shepherd in her apartment. You tell her that there is a no-pets policy so she can’t keep her dog on the property, but she argues saying that Mark gets to keep his dog, why can’t she? Consistency is key in property management. Rules are rules for a reason, and your job is to enforce them for all residents.

 

Speak politely, but still be firm:

When communicating with residents, you must stay professional. Sometimes it can be difficult when residents are very upset, so speaking politely yet firmly is important. In situations where you must say “no” be sure not to open the decision up for debate. It can be easy to just say “It’s a silly rule” or “If it were up to me…” but these phrases leave room for residents to challenge the rules and decisions made, as you are seemingly agreeing with them that it should not be a rule or that you don’t want to say no. Employees should all be on the same page, staying firm and enforcing rules respectfully. Try saying “No, but…” and suggesting something that they CAN do on property. For example, “No, the fire lane is a no-parking zone, but the white-lined spots next to it are open for parking.” It may seem silly, or like you are explaining common knowledge, but sometimes all residents need is to be told exactly what to do.

 

Keep the conversation request-based, not resident-based:

When communicating and saying “no” be sure to stay away from directing statements at the resident. Generalizing by saying the entire community or using the direct actions in question makes the residents not feel like they are being targeted. Try not to use the words “you” or “your” unless discussing something that does apply exclusively to that resident. As demonstrated in the example above, take “No, the fire lane is a no-parking zone, but the white-lined spots next to it are open for parking.” compared to “No, you can’t park there. You can park in the white-lined spots nearby.” The first response is much nicer and general, applying to all residents, while the second targets the residents in conversation and can make them feel lesser than others.

 

Saying “no” to residents, or even in general, can be challenging but it is necessary. Be sure to take note of these 5 ways to say it politely, and put them to use the next time you encounter a resident who is doing something that calls for a “No” from an employee.

 

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