Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Tenant Services Representative

🎯 Role Definition

A Tenant Services Representative (also known as Resident Services Representative or Tenant Relations Specialist) is the frontline point of contact for residents and prospective tenants. This role manages day-to-day tenant communications, coordinates maintenance, processes move-ins and move-outs, handles rent and billing inquiries, supports lease administration, enforces community policies, and partners with property management teams to maximize occupancy, retention and resident satisfaction. The ideal candidate combines excellent customer service, working knowledge of property management software, and a strong understanding of fair housing, safety protocols, and lease procedures.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Leasing Agent / Leasing Consultant
Customer Service Representative (call center or hospitality)
Administrative Assistant in Property Management

Advancement To:

Senior Tenant Services Representative / Resident Services Manager
Property Manager / Community Manager
Resident Relations Director or Regional Tenant Services Lead

Lateral Moves:

Facilities Coordinator
Move-in/Move-out Coordinator
Lease Compliance Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Serve as the primary point of contact for residents and prospects by responding promptly to phone calls, emails, portal messages, and in-person inquiries; resolve routine questions and triage complex issues to appropriate teams while maintaining high satisfaction scores.
Process new resident move-ins including lease document preparation, key and fob issuance, utility setup instructions, move-in walkthroughs, and delivery of welcome materials to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.
Manage resident move-outs and lease terminations: coordinate final inspections, document damages, calculate charges, prepare account reconciliations, and communicate security deposit disposition in accordance with lease and local regulations.
Administer lease renewals and extensions by preparing renewal offers, communicating terms to residents, capturing renewal agreements in property management software, and tracking renewal conversion rates to support retention targets.
Perform rent collection and arrears management: post payments, generate late notices and delinquency letters, set up payment plans, escalate to collections or legal teams when necessary, and maintain accurate ledgers.
Open, prioritize and monitor maintenance service requests in the property management system; dispatch vendors or maintenance staff, follow up with residents on completion, verify work quality, and ensure timely closure of work orders.
Conduct regular property inspections (move-in, move-out, seasonal, and unit turnover inspections), document findings with photos, prepare maintenance recommendations, and track completion of repairs to ensure market-ready units and asset protection.
Maintain accurate tenant records and documentation including lease files, addendums, correspondence, incident reports, proof of insurance, pet documentation, and background screening results while ensuring confidentiality and data integrity.
Enforce lease terms, community policies and safety procedures consistently and professionally; address noise complaints, parking violations, unauthorized occupants, and nuisance behavior while applying Fair Housing and company policy.
Coordinate with outside vendors and contractors: source quotes, schedule and supervise vendor access, verify insurance and licenses, and approve invoices in accordance with procurement guidelines.
Manage resident communications and community announcements across multiple channels (email blasts, portal notices, printed bulletins, and social media groups) to ensure timely dissemination of policy changes, safety alerts, and amenity schedules.
Facilitate resident relations programs and retention initiatives such as welcome events, seasonal activities, referral incentives, and resident appreciation campaigns to increase engagement and reduce turnover.
Prepare and deliver weekly and monthly operational reports for property leadership that include occupancy rates, renewal metrics, delinquency reports, maintenance KPIs, and resident satisfaction scores.
Handle emergency response coordination: be available for after-hours escalations, coordinate with on-call maintenance and emergency services, document incidents, and follow up with residents to resolution.
Assist leasing and marketing teams by showing vacant units, conducting tours for prospects, qualifying leads, processing applications, and coordinating background and credit checks in compliance with Fair Housing laws.
Reconcile resident accounts and prepare month-end reconciliations: post adjustments, apply credits, resolve billing discrepancies, and work with accounting to ensure accurate financial reporting.
Administer utility billing and resident fee programs: manage utility transfers, billback programs, amenity fees, and parking or storage fees; respond to billing disputes and investigate usage or meter issues.
Maintain, update and utilize property management software (Yardi, AppFolio, Entrata or similar) and CRM systems for resident records, service orders, lease tracking, and reporting to increase operational efficiency and transparency.
Support eviction process administration by coordinating legal notices, documentation, and working with legal counsel or third-party eviction services when required, while aiming to minimize legal action through proactive resolution.
Monitor vendor performance and execute quality control checks including post-service resident feedback, vendor scorecards, and escalation of recurring issues to protect service delivery standards.
Train and mentor junior tenant services or administrative staff on resident communication standards, software workflows, leasing procedures and emergency protocols to maintain consistent service delivery across shifts.

Secondary Functions

Maintain and analyze resident feedback and survey data to identify trends and recommend operational improvements aimed at increasing NPS and retention.
Support leasing & marketing campaigns by preparing promotional materials, capturing tour statistics, and assisting with digital listing updates to drive traffic and conversions.
Assist property leadership with budget preparation by providing historical maintenance spend data, vendor estimates, and occupancy projections for accurate forecasting.
Participate in regular cross-functional meetings (operations, maintenance, leasing, and accounting) to align on priorities, improve handoffs, and reduce resolution times for resident issues.
Implement and uphold data privacy and record retention policies specific to tenant records; assist in audits and compliance reviews as needed.
Create and maintain onboarding documentation, cheat sheets and SOPs for resident-facing processes, property-specific lease nuances, and software workflows to standardize operations and reduce training ramp time.
Coordinate community amenity scheduling and access control (fitness centers, conference rooms, package rooms) including keying calendar bookings, track usage, and resolve access issues.
Assist with small administrative HR tasks for on-site staff such as scheduling, shift coverage, and time-off requests to maintain front desk continuity.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Property management software proficiency (Yardi, AppFolio, Entrata, RealPage or equivalent) — tenant records, work orders, lease administration and reporting.
Lease administration experience: lease preparation, addendums, renewals, amendments and terminations.
Rent collection and account reconciliation — posting payments, handling chargebacks, and preparing month-end financial reconciliations.
Maintenance coordination and work order management — prioritization, vendor dispatching, and quality control verification.
Customer relationship management (CRM) tools and resident portal systems for communications and lead tracking.
Familiarity with Fair Housing laws, local landlord-tenant regulations, eviction processes, and privacy compliance requirements.
Strong MS Office and Google Workspace skills — Excel for reporting (vlookups, pivot tables), Word/Docs for correspondence, and Outlook/Gmail calendar management.
Basic accounting fundamentals related to billing, refunds, deposit disposition and accounts receivable processes.
Emergency incident documentation and escalation protocols, including liaising with fire, police and emergency maintenance teams.
Experience with digital communications platforms for mass notifications (email marketing tools, SMS gateways, community portal messaging).

Soft Skills

Exceptional customer service and resident relations orientation with a calm, empathetic, and professional demeanor.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for complex or sensitive tenant interactions.
Conflict resolution and negotiation skills to de-escalate disputes and craft mutually acceptable outcomes.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail to manage concurrent requests and documentation accuracy.
Time management and prioritization — ability to triage high-impact issues while maintaining routine operational tasks.
Problem solving and critical thinking — diagnosing root causes and proposing practical, cost-conscious solutions.
Team collaboration and stakeholder management across leasing, maintenance, accounting, and third-party vendors.
Resilience and adaptability in a fast-paced, multi-site or high-occupancy environment.
Discretion and professionalism when handling confidential tenant records and sensitive incidents.
Coaching and mentoring skills to support onboarding and development of junior team members.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Education:

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Real Estate, Property Management, or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Real Estate / Property Management
Business Administration
Hospitality Management
Customer Service / Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years of resident-facing or property management experience.

Preferred:

2–5 years of experience in multifamily property management, commercial tenant services, or resident relations with demonstrated proficiency in lease administration and property management software.