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Tips And Tricks To Get Your Renters To Renew Their Lease

September 18, 2023
Bill Kimball

Finding new tenants will cost you time and money, and then there’s no guarantee that the new tenants will be as good to you and your property as the current ones. Don’t wait until it’s time to ask about a lease extension to make improvements. This way your current tenants get to appreciate your work, which could inspire a renewal lease. If you make enough changes, it can justify a rent increase that won’t inspire your tenants to leave at the end of the lease term because all the improvements make staying worth it. I have another property in an area where rents remain low.

lease renewal incentive ideas

According to the survey, 58% of renters want a rent discount, while only 28% want cash. Still, any offer that allows tenants to experience immediate reductions in their monthly expenses ranks high. Other popular options include offering a free month’s rent or cash bonus upon renewal. Or you could cover other expenses, such as parking; utilities, including cable and Internet; or free gym or other memberships. So many articles for landlords focus on how to manage or get rid of bad tenants, but what about when your tenants are so good that you never want them to leave? From paying on time to taking pride in the property, tenants who abide by the lease agreement and go the extra mile are hard to find.

Gifts Like Tvs, Gift Baskets, Etc

Fortunately, it was not difficult for them to do as it was a single building property . This letter should be attached to the lease renewal offer. Our rate of turnover is less than half the NAA reported national average of 60%. One of every 3 customers stays more than 5 years, one of every 5 customers stays more than 10 years.

lease renewal incentive ideas

This is especially the case if you plan to scale your investment portfolio, since you can’t afford to lose money. If they’re on the fence, offer a simple perk like a carpet cleaning. Much ink has been spilled about millennial renters, or those renters born roughly between the early ’80s to the late ’90s. I got the bonus of getting into the apartment to make sure everything is ok . And, doing something like the fan allows me to do something to keep the place upgraded and competitive in case she moves out . We did not participate because we didn’t like the fine print.

Commercial lease incentives can come in many forms and, cyclically, they can vary across Australia depending on market conditions. The most common types are rent-free periods, rent abatements and fit-out contributions. Whether it’s a landlord or property manager, not respecting tenant privacy or schedules is a frequently cited reason for not resigning a lease. Some tenants are firm on leaving, and that’s simply a normal aspect of running an apartment building. Others may start exploring their options due to rent increases.

Tips And Tricks To Get Your Renters To Renew Their Lease

For example, let’s look at the value of a CBD office building. A Landlord’s valuer would assign a Cap Rate to the Net Income. Landlords are mostly concerned with one thing, property values. It doesn’t matter to them what the returns are month-to-month. If the property is appreciating in value, then their investment is successful. You can read more about the differences between face and effective rents here. Mynd recommends saving a minimum of $50,000 to cover a 30% down payment and closing costs.

Your tenants need to feel good about where they live, especially if they intend to stay for an extended period of time. As the property owner, whether you enlist a property manager’s help or not, it is your responsibility to make sure they are nothing short of satisfied.

The term lease is locking you in far more than the tenants. I told my most recent tenant last year that I needed annual leases however my contract defaults M2M but that I would be reaching out to do an annual. She just reached out to me for another year, and has been great.

One-off occurrences happen sometimes but, habitual late or non-payment is cause for concern. If you allow this to continue, landlords may end up in eviction proceedings anyway, which is another costly process. Sometimes it is more beneficial to cut your losses and non-renew. No one likes to dwell on it, but there is a fair share of bad ones for every great tenant. In some cases, it is in your best interest to move on from an existing occupant and not offer a renewal. The key to this decision is to evaluate the circumstances against your chances of filling a vacancy. Below we list a few common reasons when parting ways might be for the better.

lease renewal incentive ideas

This proactive approach shows tenants that their concerns matter, and in turn, you are also protecting your property’s overall condition and value. Proactive and attentive landlords are a plus for renters and may entice them to stay. Unless you’re going to offer at least $1,000, don’t even bother. Renters are looking for a place to live and their main criteria is typically affordability, not gifts.

Many other landlords likely share the same sentiment—and it’s those same landlords that could blame you when you lose a tenant or fail to find a new one quickly. Benefitting both you and the tenant, property improvements include any upgrade that is permanent to the unit. Ideas include new paint, new flooring or carpeting, new appliances, covered parking, or a remodeled bathroom. If your rental property is furnished, consider new furniture that will stay put when the tenant eventually moves out.

Commercial Lease Incentives And Rental Rates

But it’s worth it if the result is keeping a great tenant. Ensure that when you’re surveying your residents, it’s clear that you’re taking suggestions rather than making promises. Agreeing to fulfill those promises may be part of your lease negotiation. Self-showings make prospective tenants feel like their agency and schedule are respected and that you’re a property owner who keeps up with current trends and technology. In this way, self-showings make for a great first impression that you can build on throughout the entirety of the tenancy.

Most often, rent increases hover between 2% and 5% on the high end per year. Before choosing an increased amount, research the local market value and be sure not to try and gouge a great tenant.

  • Each of these categories is a source of potential danger to your tenants or community, so you must monitor them closely to reduce the chance of harm.
  • This proactive approach shows tenants that their concerns matter, and in turn, you are also protecting your property’s overall condition and value.
  • And a mere 4% of respondents would renew because they received a gift card to local retailers.
  • A build-up of debris, trash, food waste, or belongings can draw pests and hide growing maintenance issues.
  • This entry was posted in Property Management in Baltimore and tagged how to build a better tenant relationship, tenant retention, tenants, Tips for Landlords.

Do not spend all of your time and resources marketing vacant properties, dealing with problem tenants, and seeking new investment properties. Instead, take the time to solidify relationships with good tenants that you hope to keep on for another lease term. Not likely it will do much to get them to sign a new lease either. Put that cash to better use and offer deposit, rent, or parking discounts or waivers. It’s evident from these stats that the most important and effective leasing incentives are centered on affordability, both in rent and in initial move-in costs. While they aren’t likely attract folks in droves, they may be the crucial bit of business that helps to tip their decision in your favor and round out those final leases in your building. Here are most common and most effective leasing incentives centered on affordability and reduced move-in fees.

Lease Renewal Incentives

We’ve had low inflation for quite a few years but that’s likely to change soon so rent increases are going to become vital for landlords to not start moving backwards. The biggest challenge is inherited tenants that are way under market. We usually limp them along until a turnover then bring the unit up to market. Especially during Covid I feel a good tenant is worth keeping so I’m not making any changes.

9 Years 2 Months Ago

Property upgrades of all types boost your investment’s value and tenants get to enjoy the nicer surroundings. If that relationship is broken, this will surely carry over into any work performed on your investment property. Poor maintenance procedures or work can bother tenants to the point they do not want to sign a lease renewal with you. Due to COVID-19, vacancy rates across Australia have soared, jumping up from 5.6% in July 2020 to 8.6% in January 2021. This has caused rents to drop and rental lease incentives to increase. In the current climate, incentives in the form of a rent-free period or rent abatement are more highly sought after. Nonetheless, if you are negotiating a fit-out contribution with your landlord, it’s worth discussing the details and conditions before signing your lease.

I recently purchased a 5 unit property in which the landlord didn’t increase the rents as long as tenants lived there. They are all current in the rent, all but one appears to be a good tenant. I gave everyone a meet the landlord letter and a tenant update sheet to fill out giving me a better idea of the household income etc. I evaluated the market rates, the unit condition, the current rent and so forth and decided to do a gradual increase over the course of three years. Still kind of steep but way below market rents so as not to have a mass exodus.

It usually takes effect at the beginning of a lease and is indicated as ‘’X months Rent-Free’’. Asking your tenant to stay and offering them a rate that still keeps them inline with the marketplace and not over increasing is a gift in itself. This allows the tenant security of knowing you value them and would like to continue the relationship and avoiding the stress that brought from having to begin the search for a new home. I do small increases of 3% on renewals which is usually sufficient to keep them close to market.

Your incentives can be a month’s rent, gift cards, or cash. Whatever you decide, make sure to publicize your plan once it’s in place. While you want to avoid dropping rents for all tenants, if you feel a good tenant is worth keeping, a discount could be the ticket. Base this incentive on the needs of the particular renter.

By finding the balance between ensuring they are happy with protecting your profits, you will reap the benefits of tenant retention. Below we explore 5 ways to boost resident retention rates for your rental business.