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Top Ways to Improve Resident Retention and Reduce Turnover

A rental property tenant sits comfortably on a couch in a stylish living room. As a rental property owner, renter retention plays a pivotal role in achieving long-term success. High turnover rates not only increase costs but also disrupt the stability of your investment property. For this reason, resident retention must remain a priority for landlords and rental property owners. Luckily, implementing a few tried-and-true strategies can help you keep residents content and happy to renew their leases year after year. Here are some proven methods to boost resident retention and ensure your properties remain profitable and thriving.

Strengthen Landlord-Tenant Relationships

Building a strong relationship with your residents is not just about effective communication; it’s about establishing trust. This trust is a key factor in long-term retention, as it makes your renters feel valued and understood.

As a property owner, you can foster a strong relationship with your residents by communicating frequently (and positively) with them, creating open lines of communication, responding to their requests promptly, and checking in with them every so often. While you don’t want to overdo it, staying responsive to your renter can help them feel like you care about their well–being and encourage them to stay in their rental home longer.

Routine Maintenance to Improve Appeal

Maintaining your property is one of the most effective ways to improve retention rates. A well-maintained property provides a comfortable living environment, ensuring renters are satisfied.

Neglecting property upkeep is a common reason why renters leave, especially when their maintenance requests go unanswered. Routine maintenance prevents costly emergency repairs and demonstrates to your renters that you value their living experience. By ensuring your property remains well-kept, you not only keep renters happy but also encourage them to take good care of the property themselves, protecting its value over time.

Prioritize Quality Tenant Screening

Of course, finding renters who will take good care of your property is easier said than done. However, you can thoroughly screen your applicants before signing a lease. This screening process is not just important, but it provides a sense of security, helping to determine if a potential renter is reliable, responsible, and a good fit for your property.

A quality screening should provide a detailed look at your renter’s finances, credit history, and rental history and alert you to any past issues. Just be sure to ask for and check their references, including previous landlords, any criminal history in your state, and any states where they’ve previously resided.

Incentives to Encourage Lease Renewals

A great way to encourage lease renewals is to incentivize your current resident. Unfortunately, many rental property owners take advantage of the lease renewal to raise their rental rate or add restrictions that make their renter unhappy or unwilling to renew. While a rental rate increase may not always be avoidable, it should be reasonable and supported by a description of the value the tenant will receive in return.

If a rental rate increase is necessary, ensure it’s reasonable and emphasize the added value your renters will receive. Highlight recent upgrades, such as new appliances or enhanced amenities, or offer small perks like early renewal discounts, free carpet cleaning, or minor unit improvements. Even modest gestures can make renters feel appreciated and encourage them to stay.

When to Call the Experts

While these strategies can greatly enhance resident retention, managing a rental property can be time-consuming and demanding.

At Real Property Management Dairyland, we specialize in helping rental property owners improve resident satisfaction and retention. Our team is dedicated to ensuring your properties remain profitable and your renters happy. Contact us today in Cudahy for expert assistance, and let us help you maximize the potential of your rental properties, or call us at 414-400-0016.

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