Occupancy rates are high these days as more people rather rent than buy. It’s important to keep those residents happy and satisfied with the community.
To help out, here are our top five super simple resident retention ideas that will make a big impact on your multifamily properties.
Over Communicate with Residents
When we say over-communicate in terms of resident retention ideas for apartments, we’re talking about more than information about the building. We mean the insider, behind-the-scenes type of communications.
For example, if repairs are happening to the building, communicate how water is going to be shut off on Tuesday for a repair. Or in terms of rent, send regular reminders that rent is due on the first of the month.
Give them some behind-the-scenes or insider information. For example, share a video walking residents through all the steps taken to get an apartment ready for them before they move in. These units don’t just magically become worthy of Pinterest images. You could really spell out the care and level of detail that goes into getting a unit ready.
Share how the apartment is cleaned by a professional cleaner from top to bottom. The carpets are cleaned and the walls are freshly painted. Showing that level of commitment helps prospects know all the lengths you go to to prepare an apartment and helps existing residents know they are moving into a clean, well taken care of space.
Use Tech to Eliminate Pain Points
Multifamily technology has come a long way. Now, integrating proptech solutions into your resident retention ideas is easier than ever.
One way is to use a calendar service to help residents reserve amenities space. With occupancy rates high, those amenities are likely full. Take the pool deck as an example. There’s nothing more frustrating for residents than packing up all their pool things, going down to the pool area and seeing how there are no chairs available. Now, they have to lug all their things right back to their apartment.
You can give residents the option to not go through that. Allow them to reserve a chair for a three-hour window online with a calendar service. You could also do this for fitness equipment. That way residents know what’s available and when. Then, they aren’t sitting around frustrated because things aren’t available or the areas are too busy.
Use technology to eliminate those common pain points that happen within a community. Think of it as another resident retention gift — give them back some time and convenience while taking away an annoyance.
Make it Easy and Fast
Oftentimes, it’s easy to make resident retention and apartment renewal ideas complicated. Then, trying to implement those ideas take more time and resources than most communities have available. But, one of the best ways to make a resident’s experience great is to find ways to make things easier and faster for them.
If there is a common maintenance request or something residents can easily manage themselves, create and share a how-to video. If you aren’t using a video tool, you can always write out the instructions.
You could film a quick tutorial on how to reset garbage disposal, for example, or how to clear out the ice maker on the refrigerators. For these relatively simple tasks, residents don’t need to wait for a maintenance request to go through. They can just quickly do it themselves.
Another great example is thermostats. Many units have programmable thermostats. You share a how-to video on how to program it and set the temperature. Maybe they are looking to save money on their energy bill by programming more cost-saving measures when they are out at work or on a vacation. Sharing that how-to would not only make things easier for them, it’d save them money every month. There aren’t many renewal ideas for apartments that can top saving money.
Meet and Connect with Staff
Many of these residents will interact with staff other than the leasing office. Help them connect with those team members by facilitating personal, and professional connections. That can be extremely beneficial to making the community feel like home.
Have the maintenance team make a quick video after a service call. They can create a quick video introducing themselves, sharing what they fixed or updated in the unit, and any next steps or that it’s ready to go. Plus, give a way for the resident to reach out with any questions. Putting a face with a name is so much more impactful than simply signing the service document and leaving it on the counter. Creating human-to-human connections is one of the best resident retention ideas we have – and it’s so easy to do.
Create Value and Solve Life Pain Points
We are quick to find ways to solve pain points around the community – and that goes a long way. But, what if you could do a few simple things to make life easier or more enjoyable for residents?
That may seem like a HUGE ask – but we assure you it doesn’t have to be. Something as simple as providing a pizza night in the lobby or clubhouse could do it. Every Tuesday partner with a local pizza place to sell grab-and-go pizzas. If you find the pizza shop’s slowest day, you’re also helping their business. And your residents can just swing by, grab a pizza, and have dinner ready to go. It’s a simple thing that creates value and generally relieves a normal pain point for many residents.
Implementing just one or two of these resident retention ideas will surely make a big difference for your current residents. And, keeping them happy not only helps ensure a renewal but they’ll become your best advocates to prospective residents in the future.
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