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.
Investor · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 944 votes
10y
I put a few basic items in the rental. A full roll of toilet paper on the holder with one extra roll. A sealed roll of paper towels on the kitchen counter with one folded trash bag. A 12 pack of bottled water in the fridge.
My thought process being the first three items are things people might need right away, but don't have handy. The bottled water is because it's tiring and hot to move, so some cold bottled water already in the fridge should be a welcome relief.
Almost every tenant I've had has been pleasantly surprised by and thanked me for the water. To me, it's a few dollars spent to make my new tenant's life easier on move-in day and it sets a positive tone.
Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 570 posts · 521 votes
10y
Tenants aren't inferior human beings, they are on the inferior side of the business relationship. Inferior might be too harsh for some, another term is they are the insubordinate in the relationship.
Again if you think you're going to turn a slob into a neat freak because you gave them a toilet brush as a gift, you're.... well the polite word is naive.
If someone want's to give the tenant a gift go for it, if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy more power to you. If you think you're influencing a tenant in anyway you just haven't rented your first rental yet or you've not rented to a real winner of a tenant yet. There is a reason people rent and don't buy, the sooner you admit that and understand basic people, what motivates them, why they say one thing and do another, why somebody complains about the rich (you the landlord), how they perceive themselves as victims, how they can complain they can't pay their rent on time because they don't make enough money but will spend their time on the weekend surfing facebook instead of getting another job, or smoke cigarettes spending $300 a month on them but can't pay the rent, the easier this all gets. Renters rent for a reason. I hope the gift givers aren't too shocked the first time their tenant has to be taken to court for eviction. You can say to them... "but I gave you a plant when you moved in, how could you do this to me????"
This is the same silliness as giving tenants gift cards at Christmas, or discounts for paying their rent on time. Tenants who find suckers for landlords like that love those landlords right up till the moment they screw up and can't pay their rent and then you stop being their friend and have to start acting like a business owner, then they forget about the rubber duck and toilet paper you gave them when they moved in and start looking at you like the problem in their lives because you won't go away and are starting legal procedures.
Giving cleaning supplies also could be viewed as a hint to keep it clean.
That is absolutely one of the craziest notions I've ever read if it's coming from a real landlord with properties and tenants. I can't do anything but shake my head at a statement like that.
I hope everyone who believes things like that is actually committed to it and you don't have any written leases with your tenants. Please follow through with these beliefs. After all if the tenant let's their dog poop repeatedly in the common area and the HOA is sending you letters and fines about it, the solution is probably to buy them a pooper scooper with their name monogramed on it with a bow wrapped on it and maybe a gift certificate the Applebees.
Giving cleaning supplies also could be viewed as a hint to keep it clean.
That is absolutely one of the craziest notions I've ever read if it's coming from a real landlord with properties and tenants. I can't do anything but shake my head at a statement like that.
I hope everyone who believes things like that is actually committed to it and you don't have any written leases with your tenants. Please follow through with these beliefs. After all if the tenant let's their dog poop repeatedly in the common area and the HOA is sending you letters and fines about it, the solution is probably to buy them a pooper scooper with their name monogramed on it with a bow wrapped on it and maybe a gift certificate the Applebees.
Mike:
One of the beautiful things about running your own business, is you can operate as you wish (within the bounds of the law). If you disagree with the idea of a welcome basket for your tenants, then you will not give one.
While dissent and varied points of views are healthy for discussion, ridiculing and belittling folks because you do not share their view, is not. While you may have learned, or simply assumed, certain methods are unwarranted in your business or your market, it does not create an absolute that they do not work for other businesses in other markets.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
We don't do gifts we provide incidentals on move in. One key thing we leave is furniture pads to protect the wood floor, a few picture hangers, a plunger, dish soap , TP, dishwasher soap, hand soap. All the things you would love to have on your move in immediately
Real Estate Broker · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
10y
I was so excited when I bought and rented my first property, I went to Lowes and bought a cute potted plant and left it in the house with a card. The tenants loved it, and were great tenants throughout their lease term. I'm often told by my own tenants that I'm a great land lord, and I think a good portion of that comes from relationship building.
I don't leave gifts anymore, mainly because I have too many homes and tenants to manage without adding another thing to my to do list, but I would never say it's a bad idea. It definitely can't hurt!
While you may have learned, or simply assumed, certain methods are unwarranted in your business or your market, it does not create an absolute that they do not work for other businesses in other markets.
We are not referring to markets here, we are referring to people (tenants).
People don't change over a potted plant, sorry.
People aren't going to receive a mop, a bucket and some windex as a welcome gift and suddenly go...."Hmmm... while I've never been one to clean anything before in my life....you know, that free windex there sure is getting me in the mood to clean a window..." these thoughts are crazy, and I stand by my statement that anybody thinking these things has not gotten any real world experience yet, cannot actually own any property.
Like I said when your first tenant moves out and you're rehabbing the property getting it ready for the next tenant and you find the spots in the carpet and the other damages and you're adjusting the amount of the security deposit to deduct for these things, I guess your thoughts are going to be, next tenant I'm going to give them not just a toilet brush, but a vacuum cleaner as a welcome gift too! That will make them clean the carpets more!
Investor · Mckinney, TX · Member since 2014 · 47 posts · 61 votes
10y
Leaving a small welcome gift is very common practice in the apartment manager business for apartments. I usually give a useful kitchen bowl filled with a few kitchen accessories and a welcome letter explaining the property rules and a list of helpful phone numbers etc. They seem to really appreciate the thought.
I view it not as "exchanging gifts" but as marketing, tenant retention etc. But to each his own.
Durham, NC · Member since 2015 · 48 posts · 18 votes
10y
I like the idea of leaving a roll TP and some simple cleaning supplies! I might do this, everyone appreciates a roll of TP when they are moving and haven't unpacked any yet! And maybe it won't get them to treat the place any better but relationships are also important in business.
Rental Property Investor · Fredericton, New Brunswick · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y
Mike:
We are referring to markets. Your clientele demographics and location define your market. You are going to vary how you conduct business depending on where you are delivering services and to whom you are providing them.
The purpose of leaving a few basic items, such as a roll of TP or cleaning supplies, for a new tenant is not about trying to influence or change personal behaviour as you appear to believe, but about relationship management, marketing (referrals) and customer retention as @Karen P. and others have identified.
Perhaps there is no value in providing any incidentals or welcome gift to new tenants in your market(s), but you shouldn't be too absolute in the conviction that your experience is a global truth.
As I mentioned before, just because someone conducts business differently than you, or in a manner with which you disagree, it does not automatically follow that their "real world experience" is any less than yours. The World is a big place, it just be that their experience is simply different.
Wondering if anyone has left a welcome present for new tenants moving in? If so what?
Dan
Dan - I own a bunch of properties in multiple markets but am personally a renter at a luxury apartment complex. I prefer to rent an apartment and enjoy the amenities, that's just me. Every place I live and move to gives me some type of welcome present. It usually is a bag with a pool towel, bottle/wine opener, and a cup. Something like that.
I live in luxury buildings so I get luxury presents, I think it is a very luxury thing and something I wouldn't consider for any of my properties given the tier of tenants personally.
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.
i'm not much of a beer drinker, so i pretty much left a full fridge shelf of good beer.
my realtor shut that really quick for liability reasons (somebody having too many and destroying property), but enjoyed the cold water bottle on a hot day.
this still worked out OKAY since my curb never had too much trash/garbage after that hot week (hint, hint)
Investor · Lancaster, CA · Member since 2016 · 25 posts · 5 votes
10y
As a tenant, I have received a welcome package from one landlord and I would say that it was a great start to our relationship. And there was no point where I thought we were "friends" because of this, or any of our subsequent dealings. But it did make me feel more welcomed, and happy that I didn't have another "rent is due on the first, don't call me unless the house is burning down" landlord. The welcome package included a roll of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, dish soap, two protein bars, two beers, and a large gatorade. I'm sure that welcome package didn't cost more than $10-$15, but all items were used during the move-in process, and made the day just that much easier.
Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2014 · 285 posts · 142 votes
10y
I leave a pack of toilet paper, a few rolls of paper towels (Bounty and Charmin, ie: the good stuff), a few bottles of water, trivets, soap and a 6 pack of craft beer. Probably costs me less than $20. Sometimes I bring some treats when I visit.
Investor · Danville, VA · Member since 2016 · 26 posts · 11 votes
10y
I have mulled over this for some time now, but never given it a try. I believe you can give a firnedly gesture to your customer while also hinting at proper care being taken of your asset at the same time.
I have had the same tenant in my first and only property for three 1-year lease cycles and I credit that to common courtesy on both of our parts. No "tokens of appreciation" have been exchanged but a tone was set from the beginning regarding both of our expectations of the arrangement. Common courtesy and clear communication have gone a long way to making my individual rental experience a positive one!
I think leaving a welcoming gift gives the landlord a warm a fuzzy not the tenant when they receive it. I doubt that it will do any harm but do not see that there is any significant potential for return from the gesture.
It really comes down to the individual landlord but I have a excellent landlord tenant relationship with all my good tenants without gifts. Hind site being 20/20 I guarantee any gift I left for what turned out to be a bad tenant would never have been appreciated or altered the outcome of our relationship in any way.
Wrong. People are people. This is about people not markets. All our properties are B or better, our tenants average about 5 years stays in our properties. We have a little experience about keeping tenants happy much of which has to do with understanding people and what they value.
This is a universal truth - "the best gift you can give your tenants is being a responsive and responsible landlord, not a slumlord/patch-landlord"
Wrong. People are people. This is about people not markets. All our properties are B or better, our tenants average about 5 years stays in our properties. We have a little experience about keeping tenants happy much of which has to do with understanding people and what they value.
This is a universal truth - "the best gift you can give your tenants is being a responsive and responsible landlord, not a slumlord/patch-landlord"
Mike:
I've done business in many countries over the past three decades and while people are all similar on some level, there are immense cultural differences in how business relationships are conducted - some places you are expected to give gifts; others it would be considered as an insult. In some places when you rent a flat, you need to being your own light fixtures, in other places, the landlord will leave linens and dishes.
It's just a little arrogant to assume you know the absolute truth.
There is aspect of this discussion where we do agree (sort of): being a responsive and responsible landlord is the best thing your can do for your tenants and you business. However, that is not a gift, it's just proper business ethics.
Lender · Boise, ID · Member since 2016 · 38 posts · 7 votes
10y
I have only ever supplied Christmas gifts to my tenants. Usually $50 in the form of movie ticket vouches and restaurant giftcards as a thank you for maintaining the unit and paying on time. They have always been very appreciative and I believe this encourages them to have a bit more respect for the property knowing the landlord appreciates them.
I have only ever supplied Christmas gifts to my tenants.
Now that is a different situation entirely. Defanatly not acceptable, way to personal to provide any gifts of that nature. Not only does it cross the line between business and personal it can place the tenant in a extremely awkward position.
Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 570 posts · 521 votes
10y
^^^ If you think my comments were polarizing wait till that one gets them going. I've seen over and over again landlords/(people interested in real estate) thinking they'll gain their tenants good will through gift cards at Christmas. Surprised some aren't putting on a santa suit and coming down the chimney.
Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2015 · 570 posts · 521 votes
10y
Now you're broadening this to the whole world? Next it's going to be whether it would be insulting to give a new tenant a gift of a can of Lysol with the left or right hand...
Now you're broadening this to the whole world? Next it's going to be whether it would be insulting to give a new tenant a gift of a can of Lysol with the left or right hand...
Again with derisive belittling of others. It would be a far more productive dialogue if a little decorum were maintained.
How about we leave it at you disagree with the practice and are apparently absolute in your conviction that anyone who choses to do so, regardless of where they conduct business, must be wrong as a corollary.