As a Smith Mountain Lake landlord, you know full well that an ideal tenant can be challenging to find – and sometimes, even more, challenging to keep. To enhance good relations with your tenants, one thing you can do that’s not difficult at all is to give them a small appreciation gift for the holidays. Keeping your tenants happy can take effort, but a happy tenant is one who is in all probability able to take good care of your property, pay their rent on time, and stay in the rental home for a long period of time. Even something as small as a simple holiday gift could make them aware that you appreciate them – and would like them to stay.
A thoughtful tenant gift is one that your renters can use, but that is appropriate for their particular status and situation. Many of the best tenant gifts are definitely also housewarming gifts because they tend to be welcome stuff for almost everyone. A box of gourmet cookies or a bottle of wine may be just the thing to show your appreciation and consideration and to build rapport with your tenants. A cute houseplant, a thank-you card, or a set of monogrammed coasters are similarly excellent ideas and would likely be both useful and appreciated by your tenants.
If you ascertain that bestowing your tenants a traditional housewarming gift isn’t quite your style, other alternative options may make more sense. Several tenants may appreciate a free property upgrade in lieu of a gift. One relatively inexpensive upgrade that will make your rental property pleasantly comfortable (and more alluring to future tenants) is installing USB ports or one or more smart devices. Even a basic video doorbell or smart thermostat could mean a lot to your tenant while also increasing the value of your property. It’s an investment that is surely likely to pay off in many ways.
Many other tenant gift ideas are less than tangible, but certainly no less appreciated. By way of illustration, if you have multiple tenants in the same town, consider hosting a fun event for your tenants, like a free movie night or gathering. One other way would be to gift them a helpful service, such as water or furnace filter delivery. If financially viable, you may further think about offering them time off on any upcoming rent increases, maybe like delaying their increase for a few months. Send them a card revealing your intentions, and most likely, they will be very pleased with the gift of lesser rent for a few months longer than they assumed.
At the very least, you should be sending your tenants a card or other acknowledgment for the holidays. Not only is this a good habit to get into usually, but in actuality, it could be just as effective as a gift in encouraging goodwill. But do keep in mind, if you decide to send a card to your tenants, it’s vital to be mindful of different religions and cultures. Not all people celebrate Christmas, so unless you are secure that your tenants do, it’s right to wish them instead “Happy Holidays.” In this manner, you can simply show respect for your tenants while sending good wishes their way.
Heedless of what you get your renters for the holidays, ensure that it is thoughtful and appropriate. Despite the fact that it may take some time to decide and give just the right gift, ultimately, those efforts will be well worth it. Absolutely, if you live at a distance from your properties or find yourself short on time, another great option is to hire a professional Smith Mountain Lake property manager to do it for you. At Real Property Management Cairn, we strive to pursue and nurture good tenant relationships in several different ways. Would you like to discover and learn more? Give us a call at 434-215-3028 today!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
