New Tenant Welcome Present

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Joe SplitrockPro Member
Moderator
Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
10y

I would have said I never give gifts, but realized I do leave toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, plunger and sometimes other small starting supplies. There is nothing more frustrating on moving day than not having toilet paper! The items add up to maybe $5. I just view it as a little touch to show you thought of them when they moved in.

@Thomas S. there is nothing wrong with wanting to start off the relationship on good terms. Some landlords completely miss the point. This is a business and tenants are your CUSTOMER. Like any business, the better you treat your customers, the better they will respond to you and be more likely to stay long term. They will also refer friends. The gift is just one small token of appreciation. After that good customer service involves responding quickly to problems, performing needed maintenance and updates on the property. The idea that a landlord has no effect on whether a tenant will be good or bad is just false. I have rented to many tenants who left their last house due to a bad landlord and they thank me regularly for not being like that. 

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  • Michael Noto
    Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    10y

    Never have.  I am interested to see if people actually do this though. I personally would never even consider it.

    0Reply
  • Jay Dewberry
    Covington, GA · Member since 2014 · 295 posts · 93 votes
    10y

    When I worked for a property subleasing company, they would leave a basket with a simple welcome/thank you card.

    1Reply
  • Dumitru Anton
    Cumming, GA · Member since 2014 · 218 posts · 71 votes
    10y

    I think @Marcia Maynard and @Roy N.  and many others have some interesting stuff if you use the search function.

    Personally, i left:

    -bulbs (various cfl, incandescent) matching the existing inside/outside light fixtures

    -extra batteries for smoke/monoxide detectors (i moved to 10 years sealed battery since....)

    -some cleaning supplies/mop+bucket/broom/toilet paper/paper towels

    -soap/soap dish/dish liquid near all sinks (bathrooms/kitchen)

    -extra garage remote and a key-chain remote

    -small plant/bamboo

    -cold water in the fridge

    -mower and edger (i do not own a house so i left it to the tenant)

    my tenants had roots/grew up in the area, so no folder with area resources...

    both tenants going into the 3rd year

    2Reply
  • Shyreeta Cress
    Insurance Agent · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2014 · 15 posts · 1 vote
    10y

    When I purchased my 1st home, my realtor left a welcome basket for us, but never when I was renting. Either way, the basket had small household/cleaning items you could get from the dollar store. Ex: small bottle of dish soap, a few hand towels for the kitchen, sponges, pledge wipes, maybe a small Candle or a Glade plug in. 

    0Reply
  • Thomas S.
    Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    10y

    I never have.

    0Reply
  • John-Michael Moreno
    Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2016 · 26 posts · 6 votes
    10y

    I never have, but will certainly consider it moving forward.

    1Reply
  • Steven Woon
    Investor/Real Estate Agent · Allen, TX · Member since 2012 · 33 posts · 10 votes
    10y

    I leave two new rolls of cabinet shelf liners in my rentals.   Hopefully they will use them :).

    0Reply
  • Dan Leyden
    OP
    Realtor · Stamford, CT · Member since 2015 · 116 posts · 56 votes
    10y

    My thought is leaving them a gift card and plant of some sort. I figure it will start the relationship off right. Hopefully it will encourage them to respect me and the place a little more. 

    2Reply
  • Roy N.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    When new tenants move into one of our units we provide them with a binder containing information on the property (where the shutoffs are located, size of furnace filters, manuals for the appliances, etc.); information on the neighbourhood (schools, transit schedule, parks, etc); a call list of our service providers (handyman, plumber, electrician, snow removal, etc) and some coupons from local businesses (free pilates lesson, breakfast at the corner café, cleaning service, self-storage service, etc). 

     We also provide welcome bucket of cleaning supplies along with a toilet brush, plunger broom and mop.

    @Thomas S. - I do not see this as exchanging gifts, but as customer service and encouraging new tenants to get out and patronize local businesses (who, in turn have been very good at referring prospective tenants to us).

    7Reply
  • Renee R.
    Sandown, NH · Member since 2014 · 110 posts · 44 votes
    10y
    I leave cleaner and cloths for the granite counters, a small package of the required pay-as-you-go trash bags (and a list of locations where they can buy more), a binder with local attractions, city resources, emergency phone numbers, what to do if..., the large appliance manuals and a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant.
    2Reply
  • Matt Fish
    Investor · Wilmington, DE · Member since 2014 · 48 posts · 33 votes
    10y

    I have left a potted plant or flowers with a welcome card. It is very inexpensive and my tenants seem to really appreciate it. I don't know that it makes them take better care of the unit, but for $5, it can't hurt and its a good way to start out the relationship.

    5Reply
  • Mike F.
    Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 570 posts · 521 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Dan Leyden:

    Hi All,

    Wondering if anyone has left a welcome present for new tenants moving in? If so what? 

    Dan

    Yes, it's called the key to the unit.  This is a business transaction not dating.

    0Reply
  • Thomas S.
    Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    10y
    0Reply
  • Scott TrenchPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    10y

    I just experimented with this and spent $30 on a case of nice craft brews and a bottle of modest bubbly for the tenants. Left it in the fridge. We'll see if it does anything, and if not, it's just a few bucks towards some goodwill. 

    Podcast Guest on Show #223
    BiggerPockets
    6Reply
  • Gerardo Dominguez
    Real Estate Agent · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 238 posts · 101 votes
    10y

    @Dan Leyden  I don't think I'd never do this for a rental.  However, I was just thinking about this the other day.  I'd probably do this if I ever did a flip.

    1Reply
  • Mike F.
    Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 570 posts · 521 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Thomas S.:

    Have to agree, anybody who thinks a gift is going to fix their bad screening process and turn the bad tenant they shouldn't have rented to into a good one, or make a good tenant think twice from going bad has much bigger problems.  This is a business and the relationship is tenant owes landlord for the privilege of being allowed to rent their property. This is not about equality, it's a relationship of inferior to superior with the tenant on the inferior end of it. Level that playing field or make this a friendship and watch your tenants attitude change and entitlement creep in.

    0Reply
  • Mike F.
    Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 570 posts · 521 votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Dan Leyden:

     Hopefully it will encourage them to respect me and the place a little more. 

    This is what proper screening is for and in that failure your lease.  

    2Reply
  • Lenny Shwartz
    Investor · Lake Worth, FL · Member since 2015 · 23 posts · 11 votes
    10y

    Hello! I actually bought my tenant a gift when they left. They rented from me for 6 years and bought a house, so I gave them a house warming present. Always paid the rent on time and had very little issues with them.

    3Reply
  • Alexander FelicePro Member
    Guy with Great Hair · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    My fiancé sells Scentsy so I use that to my advantage. They are fantastic products. After the tenant moves in I usually take $35 of that first months rent and buy them a nice burner. They can enjoy a nice smelling new house and the burners are quite good looking as well.

    I always make my money back as everyone loves scentsy so they order additional products, and most importantly it creates a really positive relationship with the tenant from the start.

    [email protected]Podcast Guest on Show #301
    2Reply
  • Nicole A.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    10y

    I don't really provide "gifts", but have left things such as hot pads to protect the counters in the kitchen and a roll of toilet paper and hand soap in the bathroom.

    1Reply
  • Keith N.Pro Member
    Investor · Ottawa, IL · Member since 2015 · 22 posts · 34 votes
    10y

    I've never done this before, but I think it's a good idea.  Some basic soap, sponges, toilet paper, maybe a potted plant plus a manual explaining where the shut-offs are located would pay dividends. This would only cost a few dollars (and the time to create the manual), gives a better chance of them taking care of the place than not providing these things, and starts a reciprocal good will.  I'm going to look into this!

    1Reply
  • Roy N.Pro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Mike F.:
    Originally posted by @Thomas S.:

    Have to agree, anybody who thinks a gift is going to fix their bad screening process and turn the bad tenant they shouldn't have rented to into a good one, or make a good tenant think twice from going bad has much bigger problems.  This is a business and the relationship is tenant owes landlord for the privilege of being allowed to rent their property. This is not about equality, it's a relationship of inferior to superior with the tenant on the inferior end of it. Level that playing field or make this a friendship and watch your tenants attitude change and entitlement creep in.

    Mike & Greg:

    The welcome "bucket" we leave is not so much a gift, but items designed to assist the tenant in taking care of the unit (cleaning supplies).  It has absolutely nothing to do with making amends for our screening process (BTW:  the only tenants we have had to evict where inherited tenants).   It has to do with ensuring they get off to a great start making their home with us and (the binder) help them integrate (if they choose) into the community.

    This  warm and helpful welcome is also starting to prove itself as a gateway to ancillary revenue streams.

    6Reply
  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    10y

    I would have said I never give gifts, but realized I do leave toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, plunger and sometimes other small starting supplies. There is nothing more frustrating on moving day than not having toilet paper! The items add up to maybe $5. I just view it as a little touch to show you thought of them when they moved in.

    @Thomas S. there is nothing wrong with wanting to start off the relationship on good terms. Some landlords completely miss the point. This is a business and tenants are your CUSTOMER. Like any business, the better you treat your customers, the better they will respond to you and be more likely to stay long term. They will also refer friends. The gift is just one small token of appreciation. After that good customer service involves responding quickly to problems, performing needed maintenance and updates on the property. The idea that a landlord has no effect on whether a tenant will be good or bad is just false. I have rented to many tenants who left their last house due to a bad landlord and they thank me regularly for not being like that. 

    11Reply
  • Carolyn Keller
    Investor · Turtle Creek, PA · Member since 2016 · 50 posts · 0 votes
    10y

    I left some of my staging items in the house. Like shower curtain and rod, candles and decorations on counter from dollar store. Also metal dish rack that came with the house. If i were in a market that got me a tenant paying above the area averages, might consider something special. Honestly my tenants are getting a professional property manager at their disposal, and all the perks of my house. Like attic storage, a shed, one acre of property, walking distance to a small park, wrap around porch. The house, compared to others in the area is the welcoming gift. :-)

    0Reply
  • Thomas S.
    Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    10y

    Every tenant has a preconceived opinion of landlords in general. Very little a landlord can do to change that opinion and not likely a gift.

    Tenants that respect landlords and appreciate renting from them do not expect a gift but likely appreciate it. Tenants that have an innate dislike for our profession see gifts as either a cheap attempt at a bribe, a reminder to keep their property clean or simply flaunting the fact that we are rich and look down our noses at them. Gifts are not received by the intent which they are given but rather by the preconceived opinion the tenant has of landlords. A gift is just as likely to p**s of a tenant as it is to please them.

    0Reply
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