Topic: We are not providing light bulbs to residents anymore. Any advice on what to say?

QUESTION! We are not providing light bulbs to residents anymore and are making them replace them, any advice on what to say?

its a consumable good. Are you at least installing it for them?

nope

residents change them here unless is it a fixture that has to be completely unscrewed...i.e. our kitchen light fixtures

I don’t change or supply bulbs for the tenants unless it’s difficult to change or extremely difficult to reach. I suggest LED light bulbs, that way they’ll never have to do it again

If they cant reach, hard to put in, or within the first month or two of moving in. I don’t mind helping because we are switching all turns to led anyways

Why not make some money off this? Offer a "consumables" package for residents that includes things like light bulbs for a few bucks a month, and keep a stock of them in the leasing office. If they don't have the consumables package, they can buy them individually.

Smoke detector batteries too

We have AN addendum that they have to replace the CFL bulbs with the same. We are going to LED soon so the same would apply.

I have always replaced the weird bulbs, heat lamps, vanity etc. But closet bulbs they are on their own for those.

If they can't reach we will change of they purchase the bulb.

We replace bulbs that are in fixtures, high ceilings or appliances.

Sure, you can give them advice on a new place to live when they don’t renew their lease.

I think that's silly not to replace them. The cost is very minimal on our side and it gives them another incentive to lease or renew. They're renting for a reason. Not to mention the work on maintenance is very minimal as well.

Most leases already state that just check your leases and if not add an addendum

We replace all bulbs in our fixtures. It's just good customer service.

I inform the resident/s upon move-in that the light bulbs are all good working condition and that if a bulb should burn out, it's the residents repsonsibility to replace them. However, we do replace the flourscent bulbs in the kitchen and the appliance bulbs.
I have a lot of elderly here, so during the lease signing they are informed to purchase the bulb and we will replace it for them.
I have no complaints from any of my residents and I have worked here for 23 years.

I like that Idea of a consumbles package,what else would you put in this package?

We charge a monthly maintenance fee and change them

We provide at move in with LED lights and explain regular bulbs are tenant responsibility throughout the lease. We rent houses so we do still provide/replace safety lighting for front and back porches and flood lights. We also replace appliance bulbs since we provide appliances. Anything else, they buy themselves or we will purchase and install but charge them a fee. We do make any accommodations for any elderly or disabled residents and we'll install any/all. Good luck!

Another possible thought is to reach out to the electric company in your area and see if they have a lighting program. Duke Energy/Progress Energy provided free LED light bulbs for all our apartment interiors (NOT common areas). We installed them but they were FREE! Perhaps there's a program like that in your area.

What's in it for them? Explain the benefit of this change and turn it into positive public relations. For instance, does it help keep fees economical, reduce the reasons maintenance enters units, allows staff to focus on more important tasks, etc.

Consider easing into this transition by using your business status to purchase wholesale bulbs. You control the narrative better by making available to residents at cost as a temporary convenience. It's not a great time during the announcement to risk a nickel/dime scenario by making a small profit on bulbs.

We just tell them that we provide them for move in. They must provide during tenancy and they must be working when they move out. We will charge for them if not. We have it in our repair and replacement as well as the cleaning addendum. We have never had an issue.