How to Improve Tenant Retention in Your Rental Property

As landlords, we know it is impossible to keep our best tenants forever, but it’s certainly worth trying! Some tenants only stay a short while. Be it new to the area and not sure what part of town suits them best, a recent change in relationship, or maybe they are saving to purchase a home of their own, but some tenants prefer to rent for the long haul. Below are some landlord tips on how to improve tenant retention in your rental property.

Tenants come and go, but if we treat them well, they might think twice before deciding to move on. Along with having a solid lease and doing regular inspections, we recommend the following tips to create a professionally run rental property business that makes tenants feel secure and confident about living in your property long term.

1. Maintain The Property

Tenants want to live in a clean, well-kept property. As landlords, make sure the walkways are swept and are clear of overgrown landscaping. Check the home’s exterior for peeling paint, loose fence boards, and dry rot around windows, doors, and raised walkways or stairs.

Having a landlord who works to maintain the property helps tenants understand they can live in a safe, clean, and comfortable rental property for years to come.

2. Respond To Tenant Inquiries Promptly

Tenants need a landlord who will quickly respond to their repair requests and issues. Even if that means a quick text back to them acknowledging the toilet handle broke and that you will order a replacement right away. Usually, tenants can live with pulling the chain on the inside of the toilet tank for a few days until you can arrange to get out there.

Responding is also an opportunity to nip silly requests in the bud. For example, most tenants are responsible for changing light bulbs, smoke/carbon detector batteries, and air filters. So politely remind them if they contact you about their kitchen light not working or if the smoke detector won’t stop beeping. If you feel so inclined, email the signed pages in the lease that explain how these tasks are their responsibility.

It is imperative that if they contact you regarding a safety issue (i.e., another tenant blocked a fire exit) or noise-related problems (neighboring tenant won’t turn their stereo down) that you act immediately. NEVER chance a safety issue. Addressing noise-related issues shows that tenant and the loud neighbor, that you as a landlord, have zero tolerance for lease violations. If you cannot get to the property for a noise complaint, ask the tenant to call law enforcement to get it on record. You will need to follow up the next day.

Bottom line, so your tenants know they are valuable, you need to promptly acknowledge them and their requests. Its imperative a tenant knows that their safety and happiness matter to you.

3. Keep Your Team Consistent

If you want to improve tenant retention, keep your team happy. For example, let’s say you employ a maintenance person. Tenants will eventually get to know and trust them given this person will need to enter units for repairs, inspections, and maintenance. In addition, tenants will need to feel confident that they are safe to allow personnel  into their homes.

The same goes with hiring a property manager or on-site manager. Your tenants will like to feel they have a friendly relationship with the person they need to contact for repairs, rent issues, or lease renewals.

If personnel keep changing, it might affect how the tenant feels about living there. Should they be worried your management company has changed for the 3^rd time this year? Heck yes, they should! A lot of change can make them feel uneasy and uncomfortable. They likely will wonder what’s wrong and wonder if your unit is the best fit for them. Never allow a tenant to doubt if their home needs to be changed! Do your due diligence when seeking management and maintenance personnel. Then, when you find an excellent person to fill their shoes, treat them well so they won’t consider leaving.

Check out our blog Landlording, A Team Sport, for tips on building an excellent team for your rental property business.

4. Keep Residents Informed

Always share when you make improvements to the property. Maybe you planted new landscaping along pathways or added more seating on the back patio. Some tenants might not wander the property and see this on their own. It’s also a chance for you to toot your own horn and let them know you care about their living experience and are trying to improve it.

Additionally, it’s always a good idea to let tenants know ahead of time when you will have hired help working on site. For example, maybe your painter will be there for a few days touching up some weathered areas, or the fence company will be repairing dry rotted posts. Then, when they walk out of their door and see a stranger working on the property, they will know you have sent them, and there’s no need to worry.

Make sure tenants know when there are updates to city policy. For example, in California, we are now required to provide trash, recycling, and organic waste bins in all rental properties. We sent out a blanket email to all our tenants letting them know we were on it; Where the new bins would be located, when the collection would take place, and included flyers on what waste products can go into which containers. Even if trash collection is your tenant’s responsibility, a friendly reminder lets them know you value following city ordinances and are running a professional business.

Lastly, let your tenants know if you will be on vacation or unreachable during certain times. A quick email listing who to contact in your absence will allow you to dip your toes in the sand without worrying about if your phone will ring. We ask all tenants to contact our maintenance person. Not once has he not been able to handle something on his own and needed to contact us.

5. Embrace Technology for a Better Tenant Experience

We sat on this one for a while.   Offering electronic payments systems, an app for them to contact you regarding maintenance issues and upload photos, and electronic lease renewals are all standards of practice for us now.

You can even take it further and create a smart home for your tenants to enjoy. Keyless entry systems make it easy for tenants to come and go, plus you won’t have to deal with rekeying should they lose their keys or when you flip the unit. Something else to consider would be smart thermostats. They can be controlled via an app and allow tenants to be more efficient when running their heat or A/C. They can turn it on/off remotely if they forget, as can you when they move out. A smart irrigation system is something else we are considering. Timers work great, but the sprinklers will go on rain or shine unless your tenants have access to the box during rain to shut it off.   There is no need to waste water or spend money on it when nature can provide it for free.

6. Treat Your Tenants Like They Are Special To You

The below examples are simple, inexpensive ways to show tenants you care and create a sense of community.

• Leave a welcome basket upon move-in. We spend around $20 to leave a couple of rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, bottled water, and snacks (bars, trail mix, chips) for them to enjoy while they move in. We also include a special sponge we want them to use on the sinks and stovetop that won’t scratch the surfaces.
• Send them a birthday card with a handwritten note. We include a gift certificate to pick up a sandwich at the mom & pop deli across the street or a coffee at the café a few blocks over.
• Remember them over the holidays. Whether you offer a free turkey at Thanksgiving or send Season’s Greetings in December, do a little something to let your tenant know you appreciate them. Check out our blog 5 Ways To Show Tenants Kindness During The Holidays for ideas.
• Sponsor a summer BBQ for tenants to get to know you and their neighbors. If you have an on-site office, consider offering coffee and cookies in there on special days.

Anything you can do to create a sense of community and welcome for your tenants will help them reconsider leaving when the lease renewal comes around.

These tips on how to improve tenant retention should become standards of practice for landlords.   There is nothing necessarily new or mind-blowing about them. If you run your rental property business responsibly and positively, your tenants will recognize and appreciate that. Happy tenants usually can mean longevity, on-time rent payments, and respect for you and your property. Treating your tenants well will not only affect your bottom line, but it will also benefit your positive energy and mindset.

Check out our other blogs to guide you on your self-management journey as a landlord:

How The California Deck and Balcony Law Affects Your Property

Why Landlord Inspections Are Essential

How to Raise Rents Without Sacrificing Tenants

10 Tips for DIY Landlords

Security Deposits: 5 Tips Landlords Should Know

Cash Reserves for Rental Properties, How Much is Enough?

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