When I first moved up to Oregon from California, I did a marathon driving day with my tiny car stuffed full, cds from my high school days blasting Spice Girls and Britney, and my amazing father driving behind me, towing an 18-foot horse trailer, packed tight with all the ikea furniture a recent college grad can hope to accumulate over the years.
Trying to be a nice member of the caravan, I cruised at a safe "towing speed" of 55-mph to stay close to my dad, who leagally had to drive that speed due to his trailer. (Have I mentioned how amazing he is for helping me move?). Traveling at such a slow safe speed, made for a long day and a late arrival once we finally made it to my new home.
When we arrived, the rental office was closed, but my the property manager had been nice enough to hide a key for me to gain entry to my new apartment. Having moved from another state, I had never met my property manager in person but we had spoken on the phone and exchanged emails numerous times. The whole process was a little impersonal but I was excited to move into my first post-grad apartment.
What made my experience with this particular property manager go from mediocre to extraordinary was a simple welcome note that was left on my kitchen counter. My property manager had left me a handwritten note welcoming me to the community and into my new place. She also included a coupon to a local pizza place with their phone number, saying, “I know you had a long day and this place has the best pizza in town.”
It was such a simple gesture, and one that has made a lasting impression on me. And yes, pizza was exactly what I wanted after a long day of moving and driving! I was so touched by her thoughtfulness, I returned the gesture with a thank you card and a Starbucks gift card when I went to meet her in person the next day.
I have lived in rentals before and after this experience and I have never received such a warm welcome. It was totally free to the property manager, but the sincerity is what really made a positive impression on me and blossomed into a great tenant, property manager relationship. I did eventually move out of this apartment but I will always highly recommend this property management company to fellow renters.
After doing a little bit of research into what other property managers have experienced with welcome packages, I was amazed by the overwhelmingly positive information I found. It seems like putting together a Tenant Welcome Packages is something a handful of thoughtful property managers do.
The best part is, they do not have to break the bank, and you can easily make different Tenant Welcome Packages fit within any budget.
Here are some of my favorite ideas
Free Ideas
- A personalized, handwritten note welcoming your new tenant to the property and neighborhood.
- If they are new to town, like I was, including restaurant recommendations and a map to the closest grocery store, laundromat, and hospital.
- Coupons to local restaurants and stores. A lot of towns send out direct mail coupon packs for free. Try contacting the provider directly to see if you can keep a stash of them to give out to new tenants. You could also establish a relationship with your favorite restaurants to see if they will create a custom coupon just for you and your new tenants. In my experience in the food industry, most restaurants (maybe not super expensive ones) will be on board with this idea, as they want to get new customer in the door and make them regulars.
$5-$10 Ideas
- A small bouquet of flowers, usually under $5 from a grocery store, in a dollar store vase left on the counter with your handwritten note -What a great way to welcome new tenants and make their new place feel homey!
- Toilet paper - everyone can apperciate this one
- Cleaning Kit: a small bucket with sponges, glass cleaner, bleach, paper towels. You can find all these items at the $1 store and don’t need to break the bank. I love this idea because it sets the tone for wanting to keep your rental clean.
- Bottled water or soda pop in the fridge
- Gift card to a local coffee shop
$15-$25 Ideas
- Gift card to a grocery store
- Gift certificate to a local restaurant
- A bottle of wine or champagne-moving into a new place is a celebration after all!
- Gift card to a home improvement store or the local hardware store, they will most likely use it to make improvements to the property.
Have you had positive experiences with Tenant Welcome Packages?
What are some of the items you like to include in your Tenant Welcome Package?
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