I remember the first apartment I moved into – it was a nice community that was well kept and gated for added security.  The managers in the office were very friendly; the community allowed for our dog; we had to argue with the company about having over $500 removed from the deposit due to repainting the entire unit because of a black scuff on one wall of a bedroom.  Unfortunately, that last portion was also the only goodbye memory I have from that community and also something that gets shared with anyone I talk to about an apartment to rent.  While not all residents will have the perfect send off, there are still small gestures you can make that will leave a positive lasting impression. 

• Offer Additional Services: See what sort of reasonable deals local cleaning companies might be willing to offer you.  Pass this offer to your resident that they can subtract ‘X’ amount from their deposit.  For under $100 this might be a very attractive offer to someone relocating who doesn’t want to have to think about moving large appliances to clean their floor.

• Leave a Card: Have a box of thank you cards in your office and a few days before someone leaves, put one on their door.  Something that says it was a pleasure having them as a resident and you hope they will remember the property fondly.

• More Recycling!: Just like the moving box recycling program you can do the same for newspapers.  Once you have a sizeable amount they can go to a regular recycling receptacle, but until then they can be offered alongside the boxes for protecting fragile items.

Even though they are no longer your residents, they are still customers that have an opinion about your services.  With the different review sites readily available to renters right now it is more important than ever to find ways to make someone’s overall experience a positive one.

What other ideas do you have that leaves people feeling like your property is the one they should recommend?