Guest Insider's profile| Property Management | Resident Retention

Does your maintenance supervisor complete actual work orders or does he/she just delegate them all?
Our large property (600+ units) is way behind on work orders dating back to 60 days or more due to a number of emergency calls over the summer and being short staffed. Typically, we are rarely behind....

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Megan Goodmundson If they arent already jumping in to help get them done and they are behind this much im going to make the assumption the MS is the problem in this scenario.

Stacey Pichette Sounds like it’s time for the PM to go through the work orders and assign them to the appropriate team members. I also hope that someone from the office has been communicating with these residents to apologize for the delay and inconvenience. Being short staffed isn’t a viable excuse.

Guest Insider All hands on deck regardless of title!!! I am a property manager, we have been short staffed so I have been scheduling punches, doing work orders & having on call, etc. Team work makes dream work!

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So…..I work at a small company where I am the one that gets the brunt end of everything. We use AppFolio so I decided to come up with my “alter ego” in AppFolio. I made up a name for this person and basically, it takes the heat off of me. The “alter ego” adds fees that the tenant gets for whatever reason, answers texts through AppFolio and kind of takes that pressure off of me, so to speak. For example, we do campus housing and code enforcement is so... Show more

Krista

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Michelle Ross I’ve been doing this for years
Glad I’m not the only one.
I even say things like, I’ll ask the manager and get back with you.

Guest Insider his is next level resident management

Cyndi Daniell I’m totally doing this. Thanks for the idea

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Curious if anyone has experience with charging a premium for access to washer/dryer hookups?
One of our complexes has washer/dryer hookups, but they are in a common area in the basement of each 4-family -- they are not in unit.
The residents supply their own W/D, and thus, not all residents do, so a...

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Laura Renaldo Missed opportunity for the owners to install coin laundry it seems like. Offer a credit on rent or free laundry to unit that pays the electric.

Guest Insider I would say your getting greedy . Don't offer the hookups or put in the coin operating units .

Cindy Shearer Personally I think charging a premium would be a good idea. They would end up spending at least $20 at the laundromat, plus having to load everything in their car to haul it there, and bring it back.

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Hey yall! I want to get the office staff at my community a gift/gifts (at the community I live at) and need some suggestions for ideas. They’re truly an amazing team and I appreciate everything they do - and being in the same industry I know how hard the job can be at times.
Does anyone have some suggestions?

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Guest Insider So what I do at any property I have is a getting to know you paper. I ask their fav restaurants, snacks, ways they like to be recognized, fav magazines, authors, drinks etc… you can make up your own. But it totally helps with something like this!! Then you have ideas to gift them with at any time you need or want to celebrate them!!

Guest Insider Don’t forget the service team, maintenance, that’s what keeps the property together. I would suggest having a BBQ cooked by you or other food. When you do it instead of having food brought in, the staff knows you appreciate them. Have a lotto ticket giveaway or contest at the celebration.

Guest Insider Also leave google reviews that mention them by name

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Has anyone had people contact them about a sale post (whether professional or personal) on Marketplace, and demand that you give them your cell number, so that they can send you a code, to verify that you are real?

In the last week I have had two people do this -- one on an item I was selling and one on a post for a rental.

Is this something new or is it a scam? Personally, I feel it must be some sort of scam, but thought I would throw this out... Show more

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Stacie Tennyson It’s a scam

Edith Trevino I heard it’s a scam and they somehow replace your SIM card and take your passwords. Not sure how true that is but NO phone number!

Jose Maciel Scam they want to send a code so they can setup and email or virtual number. Since they usually text my cell phone I give them random numbers it pisses them off and I get a laugh

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One of my non-renewal policies is that if a resident has been late 5+ times in a 12-month period, or in their current lease, we don't renew.

I have quite a few residents who fall under this category right now, and I'm wondering, for those with the same/similar policy, do you call the resident and...

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Meera Dane Knowing several residents who just consider the late fee part of the rent, I feel your pain! We also have residents who get paid in the middle of the month rather than a convenient time nearer when rent is due.

I agree with the others, though - the amount of time/energy spent on someone who is late (*and pays*!) is far less than the time/energy to re-rent. Since it sounds like consistency is the issue here, maybe reword the non-renewal policy to indicate the egregious late payer versus the regular in some fashion? Or say that late payments by themselves are not fully a reason to non-renew, but two late payments in a year lease PLUS any other violation is?

Guest Insider Another consideration is that rents are no longer growing in most markets or at least not at the clip they were. So, would you non-renew a late payer and incur turn costs plus the risk of replacing them with a lower rent lease? The ultimate hit to NOI and value may indicate that it is time to re-evaluate this policy

Guest Insider Whatever you decide, do it consistently so as to not appear to discriminate. Non renewing one year and not the next due to occupany levels could cause suspicion. Also, consider the amount of late fees collected. Do we non-renew just because theyre frequently late? Is this a
valid reason to give up this other income that affects NOI?

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Have you ever been community manager of a large, chaotic community and felt like, “this is just too much and I am going to actually lose my sanity”? 🤡 To a point where you are doing the most and you are so personally dedicated to success that it’s just not mentally healthy? Have you ever felt like you are the only overly dedicated person on the entire team and that you’re just pulling the entire chaotic ship while everyone else gives only 50%?

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Stephanie Huhman Let me give you a different perspective-I managed a 400 unit highrise in DT seattle. Built in 1946, undergoing complete reno- we had every problem you can think of asbestos, bed bugs, lead based paint. Multiple Emergencies every freakin day-a unit on fire, then the elevators go down with people stuck, then a homeless person gets in the lobby smoking crack all at the same time while you’re trying to take tours, I assumed the maintenance manager and project manager for almost an entire year on top of being PM. We were short staffed all the time, my company was based in CA so it was just me and my team with no one to help, oh and we were cash tight haha.
I am thankful for that job every single day. It was stressful, but it prepared me to handle ANYTHING and made me qualified for literally any PM job.

Kayla Reagan Unfortunately, yes…

Guest Insider YES

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I know this is a long shot...But where can I go to report an Amazon driver? I just want the residents to know I’m doing what I can even if it’s just going through the motions.

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Guest Insider I assure you that no matter what you do, the first line of contact is 2 tiers of robot answering services. After giving up, then you will go to Amazon website, and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page so you can click on the contact us button. After clicking the link, an email form will open where you can type in your complaint.
And between 48 and 96 hours later, you will receive a response email from a human being.

Guest Insider They will not do anything. I've tried so many times to report an Amazon driver while I was in DC who would just leave the packages in random places and refused to put them in the package lockers.

Guest Insider Good luck! Have tried. They don’t care.

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How are leasing incentives structured at your company for stabilized communities?
In comments - does it vary at all from property to property (stabilized) or city/state? Would a specific way motivate you/team more?

Brent Williams, Amanda Hill and 1 other

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How do you respond to a resident asking why another resident has a certain dog against pet policy when its a reasonable accommodation?

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Guest Insider Get to know your neighbors. I'm not allowed to tell you personal information about anyone, just like I'm now allowed to tell anyone else personal details about you. If you want to know, ask them. If they're willing to tell you, they will.

Kim Halstead We follow all rules and laws concerning animals at…

Alex Mann The animal you are referencing is in compliance with our lease and the law, beyond that I am not able to discuss other residents.

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Question for vendors?

I want to start by saying I think we all appreciate the work you do and the partnerships you provide to us at management companies. With that, when did it become appropriate to go on over load sales mode? I’m talking vendors who already have our business and want more, and...

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Greg Kischer Candidly, oftentimes we're given false promises or buying signals -- most often from prospects, not customers...but still some customers too.
Honestly, yes I can be a bit pushy when it comes to some deadlines, but those deadlines aren't quota-driven or anything on my end; they're often driven by promotion end dates, protection from price increases, etc. I literally just want to help.
My advice, go with any or all of these:
- if you're not interested, give permission to follow up based on your preferred timeline
- explain why you're not; very few of my prospect base understand ALL of what I do and why I'm different
- use us to get a free lunch for yourself or team by allowing us 15-minutes of your time
I understand, nothing is owed to vendors, but coming from outside this industry, I can tell you that we generally come from a good place! Treat your vendors the same way you wish your prospects treat your leasing agents

Guest Insider I am a vendor and I hit the streets, come visit bring a little trinket or something, but never the hard sell..I love my customers and build relationships with them. Very seldom do I send emails, I would rather talk to you if I have something you might need, and am always a phone call or text away

Judy Bellack Listen, this is a really tough one because none of us likes having our inbox bombarded - and yet, suppliers are tasked with reaching out for new business in a variety of ways, and email is a legitimate tool. As a long-time supplier and sales leader, I have advice for both sides of the fence. Suppliers, don't lean too heavily on email marketing, and don't be afraid to try something new and creative (like having something delivered with a personal note, hand-delivering a card, etc.). And for heavens' sake, put in the work by networking at events, with fellow suppliers and with your existing customers who may know someone looking for your type of solution. Operators, the best offense is a good defense - simply answer the email, even if just to say no thanks. This will end an automated email campaign (which are set up to stop once there's a reply) which can include 4-5 emails. Also, don't be completely closed off to looking at something new; I can tell you that email campaigns are... Show more

Listen, this is a really tough one because none of us likes having our inbox bombarded - and yet, suppliers are tasked with reaching out for new business in a variety of ways, and email is a legitimate tool. As a long-time supplier and sales leader, I have advice for both sides of the fence. Suppliers, don't lean too heavily on email marketing, and don't be afraid to try something new and creative (like having something delivered with a personal note, hand-delivering a card, etc.). And for heavens' sake, put in the work by networking at events, with fellow suppliers and with your existing customers who may know someone looking for your type of solution. Operators, the best offense is a good defense - simply answer the email, even if just to say  no thanks.  This will end an automated email campaign (which are set up to stop once there's a reply) which can include 4-5 emails. Also, don't be completely closed off to looking at something new; I can tell you that email campaigns are prevalent because they work! A great deal of new business is acquired through email campaigns. Lastly, everyone needs to remember that we are all (suppliers and operators) trying to do our jobs, so be thoughtful and considerate.

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Love my residents.. they are so kind and not entitled at all❤️

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Heather Blume With the rising temps, at some point that's going become an issue of "this unit is now uninhabitable" and they will win if you go to court. You wanna safe and secure job? Go become an HVAC specialist. That's gonna be a goldmine job in the next 20 years. And, depending on the temps and any of the existing medical conditions that you may or may not be aware if, this resident could win if you take them to court. For someone with MS, air conditioning can be literally life or death, so if that's the situation I could understand the anger expressed here. I get why this sounds so insanely entitled and over the top, but if I were in that heatwave right now and in an apartment that I rented under the guise of it having AC and then it goes out when I'm depending on it to keep me alive - with my TBI I can no longer regulate my body temp as easily and that can cause me to get incredibly ill or faint or fall- id probably send a similar email to the office because I was told that if I paid you x... Show more

With the rising temps, at some point that's going become an issue of "this unit is now uninhabitable" and they will win if you go to court. You wanna safe and secure job? Go become an HVAC specialist. That's gonna be a goldmine job in the next 20 years. And, depending on the temps and any of the existing medical conditions that you may or may not be aware if, this resident could win if you take them to court. For someone with MS, air conditioning can be literally life or death, so if that's the situation I could understand the anger expressed here. I get why this sounds so insanely entitled and over the top, but if I were in that heatwave right now and in an apartment that I rented under the guise of it having AC and then it goes out when I'm depending on it to keep me alive - with my TBI I can no longer regulate my body temp as easily and that can cause me to get incredibly ill or faint or fall- id probably send a similar email to the office because I was told that if I paid you x dollars monthly, you would be in charge of taking care of providing this need and after 12 hours, I would no longer have enough room in my window of tolerance to be polite to the office about it. This can be a fair housing issue as well as many of the reasons that people are dependent of AC are related to disability. I know it's rude and awful the way they communicated this, but to me it is completely understandable and they're right - you should be paying that hotel bill.
UPDATE: after reading Brooke's comment about the renters insurance I can see how they would be in charge of the bill and that is solid with me. If you know how we can make it right without it financially hurting me (as the renter) and you're willing to help me with it, then I lose all reason to be pissed at you. Now you're my ally. And also, you know what I do for my ally? I renew my lease because you had my back when it mattered.
Still... Companies need to start hiring regional HVAC teams. It's not optional anymore.

Guest Insider The heat brings out the worst in me too

Max Ruso Looks like irrisponsible manager! If that would time out the manager for a month. Like a little baby! I wounder who raised you. Do your job!

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What do you do for a staff that is super burnt out?? Our large community is basically a non-stop, revolving door of leasing and issues. The team is super burnt out. Any tips??

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Guest Insider When dealing with burnout, it’s important to recognize that it’s not solely about external circumstances but also a result of choices and habits. Supporting your team members experiencing burnout involves encouraging them to prioritize their well-being. Promoting good wellness habits, such as maintaining a balanced nutrition and incorporating regular exercise, can significantly help combat burnout and improve overall resilience and mental health. By making these positive choices, they can better manage stress and regain a sense of balance in their lives. What does your company currently offer you in terms of wellness resources?

Guest Insider Following to see if anyone has creative ideas. Fixing the issues is way easier said than done. We have the same - big property, lots of traffic, older so work orders can spike in a hurry. We let the maintenance staff change up the rotation for on-call to more frequent shorter stretches which seems to have helped. Occasionally, we’ll shut down for 60-90 minutes and have lunch together. I’ve bought ice cream and popsicles for everyone on the crazy hot days, and coffee & hot cocoa on big snow removal days. Maybe just poll the group to see what might be a little “pick me up”. If one person seems to be catching the brunt of the issue in the moment, maybe they get to pick lunch. Sometimes little distractions can make a big difference.

Mary Gwyn Karen! Good point! And it's summer, and hot, and people get cranky...and not just the residents! We sent SURPRISE ice cream sundae packages to all our properties this week, with a gift card to buy the ice cream to go with it. We told them to have a celebration, and to send us pics for us to post social media fun and post on their own social sites!

One of our Regionals had a contest among his portfolio for Barbie themed tiktok videos and the home office team voted on the winners! It was silly fun, and one team even ended by all their team members jumping in the pool fully dressed at the end! And we are playing them on this week's company-wide Town Hall so others can share the fun.

Doing something different, fun, celebrating your teams, acknowledging their hard work, so many little things add up every day.

Keep in mind, these things are great...if you're already helping take a little of the day-to-day load off them. Like when Mr. or Ms. Cranky-Pants comes in the office, offer to assist rather... Show more

Karen! Good point! And it's summer, and hot, and people get cranky...and not just the residents!  We sent SURPRISE ice cream sundae packages to all our properties this week, with a gift card to buy the ice cream to go with it. We told them to have a celebration, and to send us pics for us to post social media fun and post on their own social sites!

One of our Regionals had a contest among his portfolio for Barbie themed tiktok videos and the home office team voted on the winners! It was silly fun, and one team even ended by all their team members jumping in the pool fully dressed at the end!  And we are playing them on this week's company-wide Town Hall so others can share the fun.

Doing something different, fun, celebrating your teams, acknowledging their hard work, so many little things add up every day.

Keep in mind, these things are great...if you're already helping take a little of the day-to-day load off them. Like when Mr. or Ms. Cranky-Pants comes in the office, offer to assist rather than watching them be fussed at.  So many things you can to to help!

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I started a Property Managers Leadership Roundtable monthly for all our properties. I'd like to include a bookclub element. What is your go to leadership book?

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Lauren Niziol

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Guest Insider How to win friends and influence people

Jared S. Leese Multipliers by Liz Wiseman

Guest Insider I love this question! And there are many great books. The latest wins have been Radical Candor by Kim Scott, Row the Boat, by Jon Gordon PJ Fleck, and lastly, The One Thing by Gary Keller.

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Hey! I was wondering if someone could help me understand how to math something out.
The first half of the year, my site did not reach occupancy. Now we are exceeding. What I want to figure out is: what percentage occupancy do I need to maintain the rest of the year to meet my budgeted NRI.
I’m sure this seems silly to some of you but I’m not a math whiz and need it broken down in a way I’ll understand.

Guest Insider You essentially need the net income of occupied units vs what you were short. Focus less on the occupancy number, more on the dollar amount. Being short on month 1 also shorts you month 2, 3, 4, and on. So take month 1 and look at your income shortage. Say $10k. Month 7 you need to be over by $10k. Month 2 was short $15k, month 8 needs to be over $15k. And onwards from there. It is hard to play catch up, but not impossible. Unfortunately staying 5% occupied ahead of budget on months 7-12 won’t be enough as a flatline. Look at the bottom dollar. If youre budgeted concessions see if you can cut them down. Increase your loss to lease and raise market rents if you have the ability. If you’re leasing like crazy, look at app or admin fees, pet fees, amenity fees, pet rent, storage or garage rents, see if you can raise them to generate some extra income.

Megan Goodmundson Too many varying factors to give you a flat answer. you could have higher rents and lower occupancy and still meet NRI
Ask your regiinal for some property financials training. Check youtube for short quick tutorials.
Most of all do the best you can, keeping existing residents in their unit js best way to maintain higher occupancy

Guest Insider Budgeted rental Income = Rental income achieved to date + 6*(mthly rental income required to hit budget
(Budgeted rental Income - Rental income achieved to date)/6 = mthly rental income required to hit budget
That's not quite the answer to your question, but tells you what you'd need to achieve each month to hit budget.
If you care about occupancy % required, divide the number derived above by gross achievable monthly rents.
So, for example, if we found out you needed to avg $100k/mo for next 6 months and you have $110k max achievable rent, then you need (approximately) 100k/110k occupancy.
I say approximately because, this is dependent on your mix of rents.

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