Christmas gifts for tenants

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Christmas gifts for tenants

Jon Klaus
Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes

Last year I considered gifts, but didn't do it. Yesterday I did, and it was a lot of fun. I took my 18 YO daughter and 4 and 5 YO sons to Costco, then to 14 tenant homes across 3 counties delivering cookies. Honestly, part of it was to help teach the boys how it is "more blessed to give," but I also think of my tenants as clients and truly want to show appreciation.

I texted or called a few minutes before arrival at each home and in most cases someone was home. I intentionally did not go in any homes, but simply left the gift with Christmas blessings. We had a blast, though the whole trip took 6 plus hours. I plan to do it again next year.

Have you done anything for your tenants at the holidays?

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William Ware
Investor · Holly, MI · Member since 2009 · 95 posts · 23 votes
15y

All I can say is "Wow" at some of these comments. I send a Christmas card with a small gift certificate from Kroger. I will continue to treat my tenants as a customer that puts money in my pocket. After all I did screen them and allow them to move into my property.

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  • Nathan Emmert
    Investor · San Ramon, CA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 569 votes
    14y

    I'm with James.

    If you do send a card, at least sign and address it in hand. Personally, I absolutely HATE receiving auto generated crap in the mail. Nothing makes me feel like a data point more than having a computer chug out correspondence to me.

    2Reply
  • Joel OwensBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    14y

    I have not done it.I have too many tenants for that.

    Also different tenants have varying religious beliefs and some have no beliefs so I wouldn't want to get involved with that.

    In real estate when I first became an agent and a broker there were two hot buttons to always stay away from when doing deals RELIGION and POLITICS.

    My tenants would complain as well.I want to keep the relationship business.I fix the properties problems when the arise and believe it or not you are ahead of 80% of landlords if you do just that.

    Most won't fix things or get emotional over rent not being paid and get a handyman to screw stuff up trying to repair it.

    You can do a charity that is not tied to your business and give back that way.

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    1Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y

    Thank you all for replying to my post, great responses and so quickly!

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by James Vermillion:
    personally I would do no more as it sets certain expectations.

    Great point, I would not want that, most people consider me a nice person, but there is another side to me if one doesn’t do the right thing by me.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Nathan Emmert:

    If you do send a card, at least sign and address it in hand. Personally, I absolutely HATE receiving auto generated crap in the mail. Nothing makes me feel like a data point more than having a computer chug out correspondence to me.

    Most definitely, I hate that also, especially with credit card companies that are trying to get more of my money…

    You are one of our most valued customers…blah blah blah

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Joel Owens:
    two hot buttons to always stay away from when doing deals RELIGION and POLITICS.

    Yes, this is something I need to work on staying away from generally. Thanks for the reminder.

    I believe you're right. My tenants have expressed to me that they are so grateful that issues are taken care of right away; they are not use to a landlord having things fixed so quickly. My thoughts are I'm just doing my part, and taking care of issues right away is to my benefit as well.

    0Reply
  • Jason Miller
    Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2009 · 200 posts · 74 votes
    14y

    Have we become so callous in our field that the small chance that a simple gift will result in entitlement causes us to withhold a bit of generosity? I think ol Ebenezer would come to us landlords for advice.

    Here's another question. Do you give any gifts to your venders? Tax consultant, broker, handyman etc etc?

    0Reply
  • Michael G.
    Wholesaler · Bay Shore, NY · Member since 2009 · 359 posts · 199 votes
    14y

    Couple years back I did give my long term tenants a $25 Walmart gift card.

    Its a tax write-off but more a gesture of good will @ the time because they were really good tenants.

    My newest tenants complain too much so they might get a bag of coal...lol.

    I do give a gift to my property manager every year...tax deduction.

    0Reply
  • David Belote
    Rehabber · Charleston, SC · Member since 2011 · 11 posts · 3 votes
    14y

    I reward my good tenants and "spank" my bad ones! I send out a thank you letter with a gift card to the TENANTS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE A MIN. OF ONE YEAR AND HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE!

    0Reply
  • Aly W.
    Investor · Middletown, NJ · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    14y

    I just recently sent a tenant a gift card from Babies R Us when she and her husband had their first child. I've given gifts to my contractors every year. My tenants get holiday cards, and they get almost immediate attention when something breaks. So no, no holiday gifts, but they're all on a first name basis with my contractor, and he has no problem if they call him first with an issue.

    I'm going to have to raise the rent for a few tenants next year and someone on BP suggested including a Best Buy gift card or similar with the new lease. I plan to do that.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Jason Miller:
    Have we become so callous in our field that the small chance that a simple gift will result in entitlement causes us to withhold a bit of generosity? I think ol Ebenezer would come to us landlords for advice.

    :lol:

    Now that you mentioned it, my handy man (or I think he would prefer to be titled my home improvement man) has been great, so I most certainly would give him a gift.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Joel Owens:
    I have too many tenants for that.

    By the way Joel, I want to be like you when I grow up.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Michael G.:
    Couple years back I did give my long term tenants a $25 Walmart gift card.

    Its a tax write-off but more a gesture of good will @ the time because they were really good tenants.

    My newest tenants complain too much so they might get a bag of coal...lol.

    :lol:

    :cool: Points well taken.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by David Belote:
    I reward my good tenants and "spank" my bad ones! I send out a thank you letter with a gift card to the TENANTS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE A MIN. OF ONE YEAR AND HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE!

    :cool: Very well said.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Aly L:
    ...they're all on a first name basis with my contractor, and he has no problem if they call him first with an issue.

    :idea:

    Well that's interesting...

    0Reply
  • Aly W.
    Investor · Middletown, NJ · Member since 2008 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    14y

    Yes, it's supposed to soften the blow of the rent increase. It won't be much of an increase, $25 - $35 a month, with a $25 gift card. They're all good tenants, but taxes and maintenance fees are going up.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Aly L:
    ...taxes and maintenance fees are going up.

    Yes, I just heard on the news that our taxes are going up, as if they weren't high enough already. It's either make cuts at the Sheriff's Department or raise taxes. I don't want to see anyone out of a job, but I also don't want more taxes. I think they should take a look at cutting somewhere else, like maybe cut out wasting taxpayer’s money in the first place.

    0Reply
  • Greg B.
    Homeowner · Burleson, TX · Member since 2008 · 756 posts · 376 votes
    14y

    I do give a small gift(gift card) to long term tenants only.

    0Reply
  • Rob Gillespie
    Specialist · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 852 votes
    14y

    Have you ever thought of giving your tenants something like a ceiling fan or dishwasher, at least it would stay with the property, so everyone wins!

    That is really cool of you to give your tenants gifts. It is always better to give than receive. :mrgreen:

    1Reply
  • Greg B.
    Homeowner · Burleson, TX · Member since 2008 · 756 posts · 376 votes
    14y

    I do give them a ceiling fan or other improvement right before I raise the rents. The Christmas gift is something else for me and works for me.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Brian Adamson:
    I don't want them to start expecting something every year, first it's christmas, then it's birthdays and then their asking for a few extra days to pay their rent and so on.

    Yes, that is a concern.

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Greg B.:
    I do give a small gift(gift card) to long term tenants only.

    Yes, that is to be considered. My tenants have been with me less than 90 days.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Full-Time Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    14y

    Michelle welcome to Bp... Have you considered responding to a few posts at once instead of individual posts?? Not only does it artificially boost your post count and influence score (not accusing you of this but there have been others in the past), but it also disrupts the flow of the conversation in my opinion. Thanks and look forward to your inputs here. Btw I'm not a moderator-- just one mans opinion... Now back on topic:

    I still don't believe holiday gifts to tenants for reasons stated above. My gift to them is fair rent, a suitable apartment, and repairs fixed asap. Similarly I don't expect a gift from them.

    1Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y
    Originally posted by Rob Gillespie:
    Have you ever thought of giving your tenants something like a ceiling fan or dishwasher, at least it would stay with the property, so everyone wins!

    That is really cool of you to give your tenants gifts. It is always better to give than receive. :mrgreen:

    According to my maintenance guy they are going to get a new air conditioner this summer, because he feels that my current unit is about to die. :cry:

    0Reply
  • Michelle M.
    Investor · Hephzibah, GA · Member since 2011 · 44 posts · 1 vote
    14y

    @Bryan, I hadn’t considered that my posting to individuals disrupted the flow of the conversation, I thought the opposite. Thank you, I will take your input under advisement.

    You made some good points against not gifting your tenants. I can recall looking at a place that I landlord told me was rent ready; it was unbelievable to say the least that he thought this place was ready to rent.

    In my opinion he was the epitome of a slumlord. I imagine that there are many tenants who are just grateful that their landlord does their part in a timely manner and are not looking for anything more.

    0Reply
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