The Work Shouldn’t Stop When The Lease Is Signed - Kansas City Apartment and Rental Advice for Apartment Owners and Managers

Closing a lease isn’t the time to celebrate a job well done. Rather, this is precisely when the sales work is just beginning. Now’s the time to ensure your new Kansas City renter feels welcomed and comfortable in their new Kansas City rental apartment or home. Doing so can turn the relationship into a long-term rental.

One of the most critical times following lease finalization to help establish a good working relationship with new residents is during the actual move in itself. Help make the experience a good one, and you’ve gone a long way toward ensuring a successful relationship with your new resident.

Here are some ideas to help you achieve success with a new Kansas City resident:

• Treat the process like a real estate closing. This means taking a great deal of care with the presentation. All paperwork should be presented in an attractive folder and it should be neatly arranged. The folder should not only contain legal documents such as the lease, but also items of use to residents such as important contact numbers for the property's management, maintenance and so on. It doesn’t hurt to also include welcoming items such as coupons for services and local restaurants and so on.
• Go the extra mile in preparing the unit. Painting and cleaning a unit before a move in is standard, but going above and beyond is not. Take the time to add a little TLC to the process. Adjust the home’s temperature to a comfortable level, make sure toilet seats are down and all light fixtures are working correctly.
• Buy a decent move in gift. Even a $20 gift can go a lot further with residents than leftovers from property management company promotions. Try to make move-in gifts personalized and functional. Take the time to do this right and the personal touch will be remembered.
• Make sure a parking space is reserved for the moving van. There’s nothing worse for a new resident than having to park the moving van a block away on moving in day. Do your part by temporarily reserving front row parking for the resident. Have a sign that says something to the effect of “Reserved for our new neighbor’s moving day” and block off the spaces necessary. Let existing residents know the spaces will be blocked off in advance.
• Check in on the resident during the move. Stop by and ask if everything is going smoothly. This is the perfect time to drop off the move in gift or even a small bouquet of flowers to help make them feel welcome and appreciated.

The work should not stop when the lease is signed. Helping a new resident feel welcomed to their new Kansas City apartment or home rental can go far in developing a long-term relationship.