How Apartment Communities are Evolving: Much More than Amenities

Posted on May 7, 2013 by sharper

Multifamily community developers are innovating the services and amenities they offer to their apartment residents.

What if the amenities at your apartment community went beyond the usual pool, tennis courts and fitness center — way beyond? How involved might you choose to be in an apartment society, a place that encourages shared involvement with fellow residents?

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In California, an apartment community developer is going beyond the basics to give new meaning to “community,” creating programs like theater troupes, adult enrichment courses and after-school care for residents. And in Denver, some lucky sports fans can look forward to cheering for baseball… from their own rooftop!

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How To Encourage a Resident to Renew a Lease

Posted on January 25, 2012 by ag-admin

We’d all like to hold on to the residents we have, though we know living situations are as individual as people themselves. It is impossible to control factors like life changes, job transfers or the reversal of financial circumstances, for instance. For those residents who have a choice whether they will stay or seek another rental, however, there are some enticements that can help encourage them to stay.

Make your rental the best

The most effective way to retain your residents is to make your rental property the only place they would want to live. This requires responding instantly to concerns and requests for repairs, communicating well and creating an attractive, desirable environment inside and out. Don’t underestimate the importance of good landscaping. Encouraging residents to take pride in their homes – say, by not allowing pile-ups of belongings on porches, for instance – also helps make a community a truly desirable place to live.

Create a feeling of community

Many residents enjoy a sense of belonging in a neighborhood or a community with other residents. Sending out a monthly newsletter by mail or email, as well as offering social mixers, are great ways to help residents put down roots and want to stay indefinitely.

Rent price

Aside from not liking a rental due to problems with neighbors or overdue repairs, residents will most often seek new housing if the rent goes up beyond what they believe is fair or affordable. When you are thinking about raising the rents on your properties, consider whether or not an increase will be worth the possible consequences.

You might even send a card when the lease term is up to let your resident know that you are so happy to have them there that you won’t be increasing the rent. If competition is particularly tight in your area and it makes sense for your bottom line, maintaining rent rates can be an effective incentive to residents.

Thoughtful perks

The additional incentives you could offer residents are limited only by your budget and imagination. You can offer to paint high-traffic areas of the rental, install or upgrade an alarm system, put in a water filter system or upgrade the rental’s countertops, appliances, plumbing, wiring or lighting fixtures. If your rental has a weak spot that you fear your resident may tire of, assess how you can make it better.

Keeping good residents is what property owners dream of, so don’t let yours go without a fight! There are plenty of ways to let your resident know how happy you are that they’ve chosen your rental and encourage them to make it their home for a long time to come.

Tips for Resolving Tenant Complaints

Posted on October 28, 2011 by ag-admin

An inevitable part of a landlord or property manager’s job is dealing with tenant complaints. But you can work to ensure a more positive outcome for most issues with some preparation and planning for how you’ll deal with them.

Lay a clear foundation

The most effective way of preventing conflict in the first place is to make sure that everyone starts with the same set of expectations. Getting your tenant’s signature on a well-written apartment lease should help accomplish this.

Make sure that the lease agreement you use clearly spells out all tenant rights, responsibilities, and limitations of tenancy, including behavior that is not allowed. It is especially important to detail the rules in areas that are common sources for tenant complaints, such as issues involving noise, guests, parking and pet behavior. Also be clear about repair issues: what the tenant will be responsible for, what repairs the property owner will handle, and the process for getting repairs made.

Detail property condition before move-in

Don’t let there be any doubt about what the apartment unit looked like before the tenant moved into it. A careful walk-through with thorough documentation is a must to establish a baseline for condition of the unit. Print out a detailed checklist for every part of the unit which both you and the tenant will sign.

Communicate well

Being a good communicator means not only delivering messages with clarity, but also responding quickly and completely to tenant needs. When your tenant contacts you about a potential problem, get back to her immediately via whichever method she used to contact you. Even if you already sense that you know the resolution the situation requires, respond respectfully and get to the bottom of the issue using diplomacy and tact.

Be precise

Before you take a position on the tenant’s complaint, be sure you know the lease agreement to the letter and that you respond in a way that is in complete accordance with it. If the dispute is between two tenants, interview them both and investigate the situation neutrally. You’ll need all the facts to deal fairly with the issue. For all communication with tenants on contentious issues, take thorough notes of phone calls and in-person conversations, and save emails, so that there won’t be any confusion later about what was said to whom and when.

Create a schedule

If resolving a problem requires you to take action in some way, be an example of coordinated follow-through. Work with the tenant to find dates to make repairs, for instance. Once you have a plan, stick to it, or all your good efforts will look insincere. Be sure that the steps you outline for yourself include a follow-up to make sure that all parties are satisfied.

One of the many roles a landlord or property manager must fill is that of problem solver. To make sure that you do the best possible job, strive for mutual understanding with your tenants and work in good faith to fully address their complaints and concerns.

Help Familiarize Your Tenants with Emergency Procedures and Home Safety

Posted on October 20, 2011 by ag-admin

If an emergency were to hit your apartment community, how would you react? Read on for ways to help ensure that you and your tenants are ready, should an emergency situation occur.

Have a procedure

Emergency procedures may seem unnecessary — until you actually need them! It is a good idea to check with your local government to see if there are specific requirements or recommendations for procedures to inform your tenants about what to do in case of earthquake, fire, tornado or other disaster. Be sure that your plan features a clear evacuation route that guides tenants out of the building to a safe gathering spot, as well as noting the location of fire extinguishers.

Be sure that you fully familiarize yourself with any automatic systems in your building. If corridor doors close automatically to prevent the spread of fire when an alarm sounds, for instance, you need to know this. In some buildings, elevators automatically descend to the ground level and become inoperable. Make your tenants aware of these details.

Provide emergency information

Furnish your tenants with a detailed list of emergency procedures and building systems, as well as a building diagram, posting these items near or on the back of the front door. Tenants should also have a list of essential emergency numbers, including your emergency contact number and those for the fire department, police department, gas company, electric company and poison control center. Also be sure to post the building address on the page of vital information, as it’s easy to become disoriented when placing an emergency call.

Help define “emergency”

To help tenants decide whether or not they need your help urgently, provide guidelines for the types of situations which constitute an emergency. Inconveniences such as a slow drain, an interior door off the hinges, or a stove burner that’s not working are items that likely can wait till morning. A sewer back-up, lack of heat in the winter, storm damage or flooding caused by a plumbing failure, however, could require immediate attention and might affect more than one tenant.

In the case of burglary, vandalism or a domestic dispute, a tenant should contact the police first. For fire or a carbon monoxide leak, instruct the tenant to call the fire department immediately.

Do practice drills

All the best planning in the world won’t help without regular trial runs, so be sure to work practice drills into your emergency preparedness plan. Your local government may have requirements or recommendations on how often your type of residential housing should hold drills. Contact your nearest fire department for details.

You can do your part as a property owner or manager to assist your tenants with safety and emergency preparedness. By providing a thorough emergency procedure and giving tenants the information they need to handle a variety of urgent situations, you help protect everyone involved.

How to Keep Your Tenants Happy (and Renting!)

Posted on September 1, 2011 by ag-admin

A lot of the time we work so hard to secure good tenants for our units that we forget to consider how to keep them renting there. Like any product or service, rental properties have plenty of competition. Read on for ways to keep your tenants so happy, they’ll never have their heads turned by another rental!

Be responsive
It’s easy to see that providing good customer service is the most important thing you can do to keep your tenants happy. But what does that mean exactly? Responding quickly to complaints is a big part of it. When you hear that a tenant needs a problem solved or has a question about the way things work, respond right away. Likewise, keep your tenant up to date on the situation by giving her status reports with deadlines by which she can expect resolution. Once you believe the problem has been solved, contact the tenant again to make sure the solution is to her satisfaction.

Clever courtesies

Making life easier for your tenants is something they won’t forget. For new tenants, leaving behind menus for restaurants and local maps is a thoughtful gesture. You can even put together a services and “things-to-do” binder, acting as a community concierge to let residents know about local attractions and points of interest. These gestures can help a resident really feel at home in the community.

Give thanks

Don’t wait for a traditional occasion to give your good tenants a token of appreciation. Consider partnering with a local chocolatier or bakery to deliver small and tasty mid-year “thank you for being you” gifts. A card at any time that acknowledges your tenant and expresses your appreciation for their presence can also make a positive impression.

Offer incentives

You can create motivation that recognizes great tenants and makes better tenants out of “so-so” ones. In your monthly newsletter, you might offer coupons for a local retailer or raffle tickets for prizes to tenants. Or offer a finder’s fee to any tenant who brings in a new tenant, resulting in a signed lease. Heightening involvement in the rental community will increase tenants’ loyalty and add to their sense of being a part of the community.

Consider the kids

When tenants have children, show them that you care with small toys attached to your communications or a few simple gifts during the winter holidays. These gestures don’t have to be expensive. Some coloring pages downloaded and printed, accompanied by three crayons tied with ribbon, can net you a happy tenant. A bottle of bubbles and a quick note, left on the doorstep on a summer’s day, say that you are thinking about those who live there. Wouldn’t that make you feel good?

Honor longevity

If you have tenants who have been in their rentals for a longer period of time, you might offer to touch up the paint in main areas, paint a room a new color you both agree on, or have the carpets cleaned for them. These gestures not only maintain your property, but show tenants that you are glad they are there and want to make their living experience even better.

It is important to let tenants know that they are appreciated. Try the ideas above or come up with a few of your own; your efforts may very well encourage great residents to keep renting with you. A few minutes of thoughtfulness on your part could result in years’ worth of mutual happiness for you and your favorite tenants!

Using Email in Your Marketing Efforts

Posted on August 17, 2011 by ag-admin

Email marketing is inexpensive yet effective.

Though social media steals the headlines of late, the good old e-mail is a marketing workhorse, one that is efficient and effective. So what are the best ways to make it pay off in your leasing efforts? We’ve got a quick “how-to” ahead.

Send to those who want to hear from you

The most important aspect to your e-mail approach needs to be permission marketing—the privilege of sending relevant messages to those who have asked for them, either through a specific e-mail sign-up form, or because they have provided you with their e-mail address willingly through other means. It is important that you only add addresses to your send-to list from individuals who have knowingly given you the okay to contact them.

Create meaningful content

An e-mail newsletter offers a great opportunity to bundle news about available units, recent successes, upcoming promotions or events, and other interesting, useful information in an attractive, cheap and easy-to-move package. Don’t waste your opportunity by putting in either so much information that your reader loses interest or so little that they wonder why you bothered.

Build credibility and follow laws

By law, your recipients need to be able to let you know if they no longer wish to receive e-mails from you. Because of this, you need to make sure an unsubscribe button is easily found on the e-mails you send. The unsubscribe process, as well as a physical address or post office box for your business, are required by the CAN-SPAM Act to be included on every e-mail. (If you use an e-mail service provider, they likely will include the unsubscribe mechanism as part of their service package.) Also, it is a good idea for your reply e-mail address, Web site and phone number to be easy to find so that potential clients can reach you easily.

Remember that those on your list, like any other consumer, are bombarded by messages, many of which they may ignore, as there’s only so much time and mental capacity in a day. Don’t wear out your welcome! Too many e-mails from you could soon inspire even your most ardent supporter to click “delete.” Limit your mailings to weekly or bi-weekly e-mails for best results.

Encourage sharing

The viral aspect of social media is one of its most compelling draws. e-Mail marketing is also social in that way. We’ve been forwarding e-mails to each other since long before we were ever encouraged to “share” or tweet. Make sure that you have a “forward to a friend” option on your e-mail to make it even easier to do this. Also include a subscription link on your e-mail so that those who had it passed to them by a friend can get on your list themselves.

Make receiving and viewing easy

Add a link to your e-mails that allows recipients to put you in their address book or safe senders list to help keep your e-mails out of the black hole of their “junk mail” folders. Because there are so many things that can go wrong with the display of an e-mail depending on the platform it’s being viewed in, you’ll also want to provide a link at the top that allows recipients to view the letter in a browser instead.

Don’t ignore the mighty power of e-mail marketing; make it part of your social and online media strategy for finding qualified renters. If used intelligently, your e-mailed newsletter can share important information about your property that will help bring you new tenants and keep current tenants in touch with what is going on in your community.

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