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3 Small Tenant Friendly Features to Help You Attract and Retain Tenants

Dustin Edwards • January 16, 2021

Flexibility Can Help You Retain Great Tenants

Rental Property Keychain with Key
The adage “a little goes a long way” can be said for dealing with rental properties. A small act of kindness, consistent communication, or even a small feature can help tenants understand that you truly care and keep them enjoying your property for years to come. While some features photograph well for a new rental listing there are other small items that we have found that can give you the edge to attract tenants. As you look to continue to maximize your rental portfolio consider these to help you garner the best possible tenants.

An Opportunity to Personalize Your Rental Property
This is a tough one and one that can make even the seasoned landlord cringe a bit. To get tenants to stay in a property long term they need to feel like it is their property and there is no finer way to achieve that than if you provide them the freedom to personalize the property to their taste.  

The most common example of personalizing a property to a tenant would be to allow them to paint a room. For those that are already a bit queasy with this idea consider the following aspects if you decide to allow this feature:
  1. Permission - The tenant would need to get your permission on which room to paint. Our suggestion would be to limit the personalization to a bedroom as that is a common area of desire to personalize and is generally much smaller than common areas.
  2. You likely will repaint anyway - When you have a tenant stay 3+ years chances are you are going to repaint anyway...now imagine if they stayed 5 or 6 because they got to paint their room?  
  3. Paint Colors - You might consider limiting the color choices. Colors that require extensive cover such as black might be on a list of not allowed colors. Most tenants will be happy to have choices even with a few restrictions.
Paint isn’t permanent and it is only one of the visual aspects that provides tenants a sense of ownership (i.e. some people might just want to plant their own plants). If you consider this allowing tenants to personalize the property a bit there is a good chance you will enjoy great long term tenants.

Small Storage Area
Storage continues to be in high demand throughout the Southern California market. When you evaluate a rental application while you might be looking at only their ability to afford your rental, remember people have other bills that might not show up on the application and one of those could be storage. Many of the 1940’s homes throughout Long Beach don’t have a ton of storage and if your tenant is parking their vehicle in the garage there isn’t much room left to store odds and ends.

To help tenants stay for the long haul consider updating your Long Beach rental with smart storage solutions both internally and even as part of your property. For example, you can even get a cost effective storage container (20’ or 40’) for as little as a few thousand dollars. If this can work with your lot configuration this can be a great addition to help someone store those items that otherwise they might be paying $150-$250+ a month to store.

Ability to do External Decorations at Christmas
Holidays are often a time for extensive decorations, but if you live in a large apartment complex your options can be very limiting. When you own a single family home as a rental or even a smaller residential income property (i.e. 2-4 units) you can create a sense of community by empowering tenants with the ability to do external decorations. This can include notifying your tenant that they can do window decorations or even hanging of Christmas lights. Many will feel truly part of the neighborhood (thereby staying longer) if they can decorate the home along with the rest of the neighborhood.

When it comes to retaining tenants it often comes down to how are you making it truly feel like their home vs. a traditional rental. To help you determine what could be best for your property to empower tenants to rent for longer periods we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247. Or if you prefer a complete evaluation of your property we invite you to fill out our Free Rental Analysis.

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By Dustin Edwards December 19, 2024
If you're properties are suffering from lack of heating this winter, these 3 common issues could be the cause.
By Dustin Edwards December 12, 2024
Although Southern California’s winters are typically mild when compared to other parts of the country, tenants still value a warm home during the cooler months. Taking steps to maintain a comfortable living environment shows your tenants that their needs are being prioritized. This is crucial for tenant satisfaction, especially during the holidays. Below are three methods to help keep tenants warm during the winter season. Maintain Heating System It's required for landlords to provide rentals with a working heating system, however, it's not uncommon for these to fall into disrepair either because of lack of maintenance or negligence. Scheduling regular inspections and maintenance before the coldest weather can help to ensure the heating is reliable and efficient. Cleaning air filters, and checking for cold spots, or irregular noises can help prevent small issues from escalating into expensive repairs. Preventative maintenance can help to reduce the chances of inconvenient calls for emergency repairs. Being proactive with your maintenance can also help you protect your investment while earning goodwill from your tenant. Another factor that can affect your heating system is drafts around windows and doors. These drafts can cause your heating system to overwork which makes the system less efficient, and reliable and ultimately reduces the lifespan of your heating system. You can address this by inspecting the seals around doors and windows for gaps or cold spots. Replace worn-out seals and caulking where it's needed. Offer Smart Thermostats Consider providing your tenants with a smart thermostat for energy-efficient heating. This can not only give tenants control over their comfort, but it's also a great tool to reduce energy usage. By providing this upgrade to your tenant, you show a commitment to your tenant’s satisfaction which can in turn result in a long-term tenant. These kinds of devices definitely benefit your tenants, though they can also contribute to the longevity of your rental property as well. Additionally, you can give your tenant a smart thermostat as a holiday gift . This can show your tenant that you’re not simply collecting rent while protecting your investment. Reverse Ceiling Fans The direction in which a ceiling fan rotates is oftentimes overlooked, and it can have a great effect on the temperature of a home. A ceiling fan is typically seen as a way to cool down a home during the hotter seasons without using the air conditioning . Reversing the spin of a ceiling fan can help to circulate warm air more efficiently during the cold season . This is because warm air rises, and a fan rotating clockwise will push the warm air back down helping maintain warm temperatures. Most fans have a switch on the motor and it is easily accessible for most people with a step ladder. This easy adjustment helps reduce the need for your tenant to use the heating system. Tenants will notice a more consistent and comfortable temperature indoors. This should also help reduce costs on their energy bill. Reversing the rotation of the ceiling fans also takes some of the strain off of the heating system. This helps to ensure it operates efficiently for years by reducing the wear and tear on it. Taking proactive steps this winter season to ensure your tenant’s comfort demonstrates a landlord’s commitment to their tenant’s comfort. A comfortable tenant is a satisfied tenant , which can lead to a long-term tenant and steady rental income. Consider it a small investment for long-term success. If you need help keeping your rental warm or managing Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
By Dustin Edwards December 5, 2024
Discover 3 Gift Ideas for your tenants this holiday season.
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