Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show: The Best Landlords Get the Best Tenants

The Best Landlords Get the Best Tenants

Aug 11, 2026

Being a great landlord is not just about being nice.

It can directly affect your vacancy, tenant turnover, repair costs, rental income, and ultimately the profitability of your real estate portfolio.

In today’s episode of the Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show, Wayne and Gabby break down what it actually means to be a great landlord and why landlord quality has a much bigger impact on returns than many investors realize.

The core idea is simple:

If tenants feel respected, appreciated, and taken care of, they are more likely to stay longer, communicate better, treat the property properly, and renew their lease.

That means fewer turnovers, less vacancy, lower costs, and better long-term returns.

🧠 What You’ll Learn

Why being a better landlord can increase profitability
Why tenant relationships matter more than most investors realize
What tenants may be saying about you when you are not around
Why strong landlord-tenant relationships can improve retention
How fast repairs affect tenant satisfaction
Why communication matters just as much as the repair itself
How thoughtful responses build trust
Why going above and beyond can strengthen tenant relationships
How small gifts can create a surprisingly large impact
When compensating a tenant for inconvenience can make sense
Why reasonable renewal offers matter
How aggressive rent increases can hurt long-term retention
Why landlords need to balance profitability with tenant loyalty
How scaling a portfolio can cause service quality to break down
Why systems need to be built before the portfolio gets large
How poor communication and delayed repairs can quietly increase expenses
Why maintaining quality while scaling is critical

Being a Great Landlord Is Good Business

A poor landlord can create unnecessary costs.

Tenants who feel ignored or underappreciated may leave as soon as they have another option.

That creates turnover.

Turnover creates vacancy.

Vacancy means lost rent, cleaning costs, repairs, advertising, showings, screening, and potentially incentives required to get the property filled again.

A strong landlord relationship can reduce many of those costs.

Wayne explains that the goal should be for tenants to think positively about their landlord even when the landlord is not around.

If their friends complain about their landlord, you want your tenant saying:

“My landlord is amazing.”

That kind of relationship can become especially important when renters have more options available to them.

Fix Things Quickly

One of the simplest ways to be a better landlord is also one of the most important:

Fix things when they break.

And do it as quickly as reasonably possible.

Wayne and Gabby discuss several recent flooding situations in their Edmonton rental portfolio where responding quickly became critical.

In one case, a tenant later told them:

“I’ve never had a landlord like you before.”

The compliment came after Wayne and Gabby responded quickly to a water issue, arranged help, communicated throughout the situation, and tried to minimize the disruption to the tenant.

The problem itself may have been frustrating, but the way the landlord handled it changed the tenant’s perception of the entire situation.

Communication Matters

Repairs cannot always happen immediately.

A washing machine might need to be replaced.

A contractor may not be available.

Parts may need to be ordered.

The landlord cannot always control those timelines.

But the landlord can control communication.

Respond promptly.

Explain what is happening.

Tell the tenant what has been scheduled.

Tell them what the next step is.

Let them know that the issue has not been forgotten.

A thoughtful response can make a major difference compared with a vague:

“We’ll get to it.”

Small Gestures Can Have a Big Impact

Wayne and Gabby also recommend finding simple ways to show tenants that they are appreciated.

That might include:

A welcome gift when they move in
A Christmas gift
A small gift card
A thoughtful note
Compensation for a meaningful inconvenience

Gabby shares an example where a tenant was temporarily without a washing machine. While they waited for the replacement, they provided a gift card to acknowledge the inconvenience.

The landlord may not be responsible for an appliance unexpectedly breaking, but a small gesture can help preserve goodwill and strengthen the relationship.

Be Reasonable at Renewal Time

Tenant retention is also influenced by renewal decisions.

There may be times when rent increases are necessary.

But just because the market—or local regulations—allows a certain increase does not automatically mean the maximum increase is the best business decision.

A long-term tenant who pays reliably, takes care of the property, and creates very few problems has real value.

Wayne and Gabby discuss the importance of balancing market rent with tenant retention and profitability.

Sometimes maintaining a great tenant can be more valuable than squeezing every possible dollar out of the next lease term.

Scaling Can Destroy Good Landlord Habits

One of the biggest risks comes as an investor’s portfolio grows.

When you have one or two tenants, it is relatively easy to respond quickly, remember renewals, send gifts, and stay on top of repairs.

As the portfolio grows, those simple things can start slipping.

Emails get missed.

Repairs get delayed.

Renewals get forgotten.

Communication becomes slower.

The landlord who once provided excellent service can gradually become the landlord tenants complain about.

That is why systems matter.

The best time to build those systems is not when you already have 20 tenants.

It is on day one.

The Main Lesson

Wayne summarizes being a great landlord very simply:

Do what you are supposed to do, respectfully and in a timely manner.

That means:

Fix what needs fixing.

Communicate clearly.

Respond promptly.

Treat tenants respectfully.

Show appreciation.

Be reasonable.

And build systems that allow you to maintain that standard as your portfolio grows.

The bar for being a great landlord is not particularly high.

But the financial impact of doing it well can be significant.

👥 About Your Hosts

Wayne and Gabby Hillier are full-time Canadian real estate investors, entrepreneurs, landlords, and founders of REI Masters.

Through the Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show, they provide free real estate investing education and coaching every weekday morning, sharing real-world lessons from buying, operating, managing, and scaling rental properties.

💡 Resources & Contact

Join the REI Masters Mentorship Program

Work directly with Wayne and Gabby to learn the systems, strategies, documents, and processes they use to build and manage their real estate portfolio.

🌐 www.reimasters.ca