Residents are an important part of the rental process. The way to keep them around is by keeping them happy and responding to their needs. We’ve compiled a list of 10 tricks to help you keep your residents satisfied. 

 

1.    Listen. Hear what your residents have to say. They might be coming to you with complaints or compliments, or you may just hear something through the grapevine. Either way, it is being said and needs to be addresses. The only way you will make your residents happy is by listening and responding to their requests. 

2.    Play Nice. Even if a resident comes to you with complaint after complaint, continue being nice. Getting upset is going to get you nowhere, except probably without residents. Control your temper and see what you can do to help out your resident. 

3.    Get On It. People like to see results, and they like to see them quickly. When a resident asks you for something, it is best to respond quickly and efficiently. They will like the immediate results you are providing and will be more likely to sing your praises. 

4.    Off-Hours Maintenance. Either you or someone who knows what they are doing should be available to perform maintenance tasks during the evening hours and the weekends. Emergencies happen, and you never know when they are going to strike. Also, a lot of people work during the day and are not comfortable with someone coming into their unit while they are away. It is more convenient to offer night and weekend hours so that people can have their problems fixed when it is easy for them. 

5.    Take Care Of Your Residents. When you go in looking for one thing, be sure you check on a few others while you are already there. Make your residents feel like you really care about their well-being and that you want them to be happy living in your unit. 

6.    Don’t Leave A Mess. When you do a repair job, don’t leave a mess when you are done. Clean up, and put everything back where you found it. Bring drop cloths to cover the floor and be sure not to leave muddy footprints all over the place. 

7.    Be Friendly. Just reach out and talk with your residents. There doesn’t have to be a reason, just be friendly. Ask about their kids, or about their work. Take the time out to get to know them, and they will see that you do care about them and getting to know them. A personal relationship will take you far. 

8.    Most Residents Don’t Read Their Lease. You should factor this in when you sign on a new resident. Take the time to go over important points of the lease. Highlight the place where you said no pets or no smoking, and draw their attention to anything that should be known. This will lead to less heartache and angry feelings for both of you in the long run. 

9.    Do A Walkthrough. That way you know what shape the unit is in, and you resident knows what shape the unit is in, and hopefully there will be no misunderstandings down the road. If you go in there together, you can address any concerns right away instead of letting them sit for a while. Show them any tricks that might have to do with the unit. A sticky garbage disposal? A tricky window? If you show them the tricks and quirks right from the start, hopefully you’ll have less problems later. 

10.    Stick To Your Word. If you say something, mean it. Act on your word and get down what you say you are going to get done. And when you are going to do it. Redidents will be more likely to come to you with problems if they know you are going to help them fix them. If you are never showing up on time, or not doing what you said, they will come to distrust you, which does not make for a good relationship. 
 

Keeping your residents happy is important. Without residents, you won’t have any income. Occupancy Solutions has the tricks and tips you need to keep your residents happy. Give us a call today so we can help you with your business goals.