No matter how much your new tenants love their home, moving is stressful. Rather than start off your renter’s experience with your property on a bad note, instantly land a good first impression by providing move-in checklists and reminders, new renter discounts, and information on local events. By implementing a few of these tips, you’ll not only make your new tenants happy and gain a good reputation for yourself, but get the information you need for your records, faster.
Send out Reminders and Utility Checklists Early
Beyond packing and unloading boxes, remembering to open accounts with utility providers, change physical addresses, and enroll children in schools and programs can be a lot for your renter. Before your new tenants move in, relieve some of the pressure by sending them a utility checklist and to-do reminders. You can do this by utilizing our utility checklist and adding your own reminders (like requiring renter’s insurance) a few weeks before move-in. If you’re a real estate agent, you might want to use a service like Updater, which enables your client’s renters to seamlessly update their online accounts and forward their mail, generating a good first impression and satisfied clients. These reminders are especially helpful for new tenants who are coming in from out-of-state.
As moving-in is hard on your tenants, it’s just as stressful for you as well. Consider fine tuning your move-in process by creating your own checklist. While there will always be unexpected variables with every new renter, having written guidelines will help make sure nothing is overlooked.
Provide Small Welcome Gifts and Recommend Good Local Spots
You’re going to be interacting with your tenants for at least 6 months to a year, so it’s important to make a good impression. Welcome new renters with a small welcome gift. Rather than selecting a well-known gift card, get your tenants a gift card that’ll lead them to local hot-spots you’d recommend. This will make the gift much more personal and noteworthy. Remember, every renter is a potential good online review and future applicant referral. Stop by your local chamber of commerce to pick up a stack of new resident packets which are usually free.
Provide Community Event Information
Make your new renters feel welcome by providing information on local events like fairs, free concerts or work out classes, food truck festivals, and the farmer’s market. You can do this by listing specific events that are coming soon, or pointing your tenants to local Facebook pages that offer recreation, events, and other community resources. If they have children, provide a list of after school or summer activities offered by your city or the YMCA. This small amount of effort will go a long way with your tenants.
The move-in period is an untapped opportunity that can increase your reputation, both online and in-person. By providing utility check-lists, small gifts, and community event information, you open up the door for your new tenants to develop a good relationship with you. I can bet your competition isn’t doing that.
