If you’re a really proactive landlord, and a property owner that everyone wants to rent from, you’re taking care to create a fantastic rental experience for your tenants. One of the best ways to do that is by creating a strong sense of community with your rental properties. Give your residents the opportunities and the space they need to connect with one another. They’ll be happier with where they live, and less likely to complain about their neighbors.
Create a place where your tenants can feel safe and at home. This will lead to an appreciation of where they live, and residents will likely stay in place longer, creating more stability at your property.
It’s easy to feel alone in the world, especially as a renter in a busy city like Orlando or Tampa or West Palm Beach. Creating a strong community serves your community.
Here are the benefits to being a respected community builder.
Less Tenant Turnover for Your Rental Properties
Every rental property owner wants to avoid turnover. It’s expensive. It’s time consuming.
When tenants can find connections with their neighbors, and those connections develop into meaningful relationships, they’ll be happy with where they live. As neighbors become friends, it will be hard for them to leave the community where they like everyone they live around. This will be especially true if that tenant gets involved in the activities and the events that create the communal feel around your property.
Attract New Tenants
Community is also attractive to tenants who are looking for new homes. When your prospective tenants come for a showing or an open house, they’ll get an immediate sense of the community that’s been established, and they’ll be drawn to it. This is a great way to market your property and attract new residents. Advertise the availability of events such as socials, pot lucks, movie nights, and whatever else you have going on.
You’ll Manage Fewer Tenant Disputes and Conflicts
The benefits aren’t just financial.
With a strong sense of community, tenants will be more respectful with one other. They’ll be careful to think about their neighbors. Your own relationships with your tenants will be easier, and their relationships with each other will be better.
Create a safe and inclusive space where tenants are willing to talk to each other. Establishing a community at your rental property will make it more difficult for tenants to be aggressive and unpleasant with one another. You will find there are fewer fights, and minor disagreements will be less likely to escalate into resentment and personal attacks.
Maintaining Your Property with Help from Tenants
When your tenants are feeling a sense of ownership in their community, they’ll contribute to keeping the place looking good. That’s going to help with your curb appeal and your preventative maintenance.
You can expect your tenants to do a better job of taking care of their own home and the property in general when they feel like there’s support and companionship.
You’re the property owner, so the expense and the upkeep will still fall to you when we’re talking about maintenance. There’s no avoiding that. However, when you’ve established a strong community at your rental property, residents will do a better job of keeping everything clean. If there are minor repairs that they can manage, they’ll probably take care of them. And, they won’t delay in letting you know when something must be repaired or replaced.
Strategies for Establishing a Strong Community
Not sure how to build the community you want? We have some ideas, and we think you’ll find them to be fairly manageable.
- Set Up Common Areas
Create shared spaces where your tenants can gather together. This could include a community garden or a courtyard, a playground, or a barbecue area. Inside, you might have space for a multipurpose room or a lounge. Maybe a small library will draw book lovers together. A business center, if you have the capacity, could potentially provide free Wi-Fi and even a co-working space for your tenants who work remotely.
- Put Together Parties, Brunches, and Social Events
One of the best ways to create a sense of community is to organize social events and gatherings for your tenants. These events can range from holiday parties to cookouts and game nights. People love brunch. Maybe there’s a movie night. Such social events provide an opportunity for your tenants to interact with one another and develop relationships that can lead to long-term friendships. You can even create a community calendar or a newsletter to keep your tenants updated on these events.
- Create a Social Media Site or a Group Chat
A lot of communities are built online these days. Consider creating a private Facebook group for members of the community who want to join. This can be another great way to share information about events. Even a group chat with everyone in your building can work and give people a way to feel involved and included.
Always make this optional. You don’t want your tenants to feel pressured into communicating in ways that they’re not comfortable with.
- Prepare to Listen
Make sure you’re inclusive. Encouraging tenant participation is another effective way to create a sense of community. Consider creating a tenant association or committee that focuses on community building initiatives. Give tenants a sense of ownership in the property by seeking their input on property-related issues. Additionally, communication is key to creating a sense of community. Regularly communicate with your tenants through newsletters, notice boards, and social media.
Get involved to the extent you can. As the property owner, you need to maintain some distance in order to keep relationships professional and positive. However, you want to be part of the community, too. Provide the support your tenants are looking for. Offer resources. Ensure that you are available and approachable when your tenants need you, and always respond to their concerns and issues in a timely manner.
A sense of community is critical to the success of any residential property. By putting together a safe, enjoyable space for your tenants, you’ll be increasing their quality of life as well as the value of your property.
Need some help? We can share some ideas specific to your property. Contact our team at Park Avenue Property Management. We work in Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, Kissimmee, Celebration, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, West Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, and throughout central Florida.
