Best ideas to get people to renew! Looking to reach out to renewals early!!

Antonio Leon What’s your budget like? If you’re having retention issues then maybe offer a carpet cleaning or apartment cleaning. With longer term residents offer a carpet replacement, depending on your budget. Or offer a gift card to their favorite place. If you have a larger budget offer an iPad ???? You can also ask them what it will take for them to renew. Of course within reason. Everything is negotiable!

Guest Insider No. No renewal incentive budget should be big enough to include a free iPad. Residents are smart enough to know if you are throwing iPads at people to get them to renew then you’re planning on charging way, way more than what is necessary for their renewal rate. They know that they will be paying for that iPad and would prefer to buy it themselves with the money you are not charging them in rent.
Renewal incentives that worked best for my property were top-class service in the office at all times, strict adherence to a pricing structure that rewarded those who renew early with the lowest rates, gradually increasing until the end of their term, a SURVEY that asks for feedback and then address each survey directly with the tenant prior to lease renewal.

Brandon Payton Reasonable increases.

Guest Insider Offer a renewal package
1. Spring Cleaning renewal package- includes window cleaning
2. Floor cleaning package- steam clean carpets, or steam mop floors
3. Money back package- $50 credit on account for renewing by ….

Judy Green It’s all about customer service, residents really want to know that the manager is involved in the renewal and then it’s not just about the owner or the property trying to take your money.
I truly believe that the resident just wants to be heard and wants to have a say in the increase so what better way to do it than being able to negotiate.
My site we are currently doing 5% increase with the ability to negotiate not less than 3%.

Chris Finetto Because moving sucks and I’m gonna charge you $186 for the mini-blind your cat ate, the cat that wasn’t on the lease…

Guest Insider It took a lot of convincing to my owners but we offered a free month to our renewals. We have had an 80% retention rate.

Guest Insider Renewal pizza party- We had 35 units between July and August. We were able to renew in 1 day 20 with 150 off 1st full month rent with 3% increase.

Guest Insider Provide superior customer service all year long and follow through and should be reasonably easy. And take care of what of what's reasonable of course, u will see a fantastic renewal ratio

Robert Tinning Be consistent in what you offer each, remember Fair Housing applies.

Guest Insider I've has one nonrenewal in 4 years! Granted, we're senior housing. Rents usually increase 3% a year. This year I increased 5%. The only way I get a vacant is when someone dies or goes into assisted living. We have a clause in our lease that if it's medically necessary, a Resident only has to give us a 30 day notice from the first of a month.

Guest Insider not pay to move, that’s my motto.
We do work orders as they come in, leave at 6 with none in our system most of the time.

Guest Insider Provide good service for the year before

Guest Insider I always did a contest, those that returned their renewal within 3 days were entered into a contest to win $500 off of the renewal month. Most months had about 20 renewals going out, so one winner was easy breezy against the budget, it beats turn-keying the unit and possible vacancy losses. Good luck. ????

Michelle Sykes Let them customize their apt. Paint an accent wall something like that.

Guest Insider Provide great service all year and they will want to stay❤

Stacey Pichette We’re giving an incentive to renew early. Options include: an Alexa, fire stick, gift card, or apt upgrade. We’ve replaced old appliances, updated light fixtures to LED, replaced old blinds with faux wood, updated plumbing fixtures, etc.

Guest Insider We’re offering upgrades. Choice between a custom close, OTR Microwave, ice maker… couple of other things in that price range…
Little things that make their life better & improve the apartment for when you do turn it.

Guest Insider Carpet cleans with renewal. A significant discount the first month of renewal.

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Good morning wonderful professionals, I hope everyone is well. We’re not just approaching disruption in real estate…. We’re living it.

Zillow to acquire loanDepot? (🫖)

It’s the hottest (and worst-kept) rumor in housing right now denied by both sides, but industry chatter isn’t slowing...

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In the crowded world of apartment communities, "location, location, location" isn't just a tired real estate mantra—it's your brand's secret sauce. While you might be tempted to chase the latest design trends or play it safe with a "timeless" look, ignoring the unique character of your locale means missing a golden opportunity for meaningful differentiation.Apartment communities are inherently hyper-local, woven into the very fabric of their neig ...

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Has anyone introduced an "in-service" day for employees? This would be a day where the office is closed so that employees can get caught up on their training, have meetings, etc. No contact with corporate or outside world one day a month.
I've heard of this being done but don't know who is doing it
Any insight is MUCH appreciated!!!

Guest Insider This would be amazing. As a manager i find myself having a very challenging time focusing on anything because my phone blows up all day with constant text messages, Emails, contractors coming in, residents, tours, each employee wanting to chat a little or ask questions, phone calls, reports, bills .. etc we all know the list goes on and on… without a strong team or even a decent team- it is 100x more challenging. An admin day would be blissful. I really think managers should be able to work from home one day a week or all managers meet and work together away from the office to be able to focus on the big things/ goals of the property. I am so weighed down by the constant need for me to help with something, do something, respond to something… it is hard to relax at all or share a joke or smile. I am stiff, stressed, exhausted, beat down and feel unappreciated. I pray it gets better soon. Admin days should absolutely be a thing or like someone else mentioned - have an hour a day admin... Show more

This would be amazing. As a manager i find myself having a very challenging time focusing on anything because my phone blows up all day with constant text messages, Emails, contractors coming in, residents, tours, each employee wanting to chat a little or ask questions, phone calls, reports, bills .. etc we all know the list goes on and on… without a strong team or even a decent team- it is 100x more challenging. An admin day would be blissful. I really think managers should be able to work from home one day a week or all managers meet and work together away from the office to be able to focus on the big things/ goals of the property. I am so weighed down by the constant need for me to help with something, do something, respond to something… it is hard to relax at all or share a joke or smile. I am stiff, stressed, exhausted, beat down and feel unappreciated. I pray it gets better soon. Admin days should absolutely be a thing or like someone else mentioned - have an hour a day admin work time… because once that office officially opens its go time… there’s no time to think, plan, execute etc it’s just go go go go go, now now now now, more, more, more. Then the question will be, why don’t we have more move ins? Maybe due to being short staffed and or poorly staffed which leaves the work all on one persons plate to suffer with until that person breaks. Idk sorry didn’t mean to vent here but it just all came out. 😆

Guest Insider My company does an admin day a week for Regionals/Area Managers, where they can work from home and get caught up with Admin work. As far as office staff, we start work at 8:30 am but do not open the office until 9 am. So they have the first 30 minutes to do what we call admin time.

Guest Insider Our company actually initiated an admin hour every day, changed our office hours to open at 10 instead of 9 and now every day from 9-10 we have to do things like this

Steve Matre Only out of desperation. We did, at last company, have admin hour (first hour of the day was office closed). This was the point of this hour (admin, reporting, training, etc.). When the doors opened at 10, all focus to the public.

Karen Kossow We don't have an admin day, but our sites have admin hour 9am-10am during the week.

Mya Estrada I've heard of places doing this! Most seem to say that it has helped tremendously.

Guest Insider We do this at our communities. Mondays are admin days, and the office is closed. Team members are meant to use the day to catch up on admin duties and reporting

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Guest Insider AI does too much for them

Sara Sprankles Too much tech! Makes them
Inhuman and we need our LCs to be human. This is people’s homes after all. Get them off the computer and giving excellent tours and resident experiences!

Guest Insider So much centralization of processes they don’t get cross exposure to things like pricing, statement of deposit accounting or processing checks. I’m worried the next generation won’t learn as much as we did. Baptism by fire isn’t the way, but completely removing them from the process isn’t either.

Guest Insider Staying focused in a sea of distraction

Bill Masterson Fraud

Brent Williams I'd have to imagine the sheer number of systems they have to know.

Brandy Blazen Believing everything they are told by a resident or prospect.

Steve Matre Leasing is such a key role, but many companies still treat this as purely entry level position. There are so many systems and procedures to learn, and our industry is VERY regulated (much legal and compliance) - so fast expectation for mastery combined with extreme amount of knowledge to learn. Then add the expectation of personalization and sales skills. It is a huge position and many companies probably do not do the onboarding and continual development that is warranted.

Allie Gartside The hardest part of being a leasing agent? Hands down—having a poor maintenance team.
I’ve seen both sides of the coin. I worked at a 107-unit property with a phenomenal maintenance supervisor—organized, reliable, and proactive. Residents were happy. Units were clean and ready on time. My job was smooth because I wasn’t constantly putting out fires.
But I’ve also worked with someone who didn’t care at even larger properties. He was disorganized, resistant to feedback, and took no pride in his work. Simple turns would sit untouched for weeks. I’d show up the day before move-in and find lights out, trash left behind, dirty cabinets, broken parts, and no effort made. So now I’m cleaning, chasing vendors, and missing calls from prospects. And when residents move in unhappy? Is leasing and the property managers taking the heat.
As a renter, I’ve lived this nightmare too. I moved into a unit that clearly hadn’t been touched by anyone but vendors. The vendors who did the turn were also...The hardest part of being a leasing agent? Hands down—having a poor maintenance team.
I’ve seen both sides of the coin. I worked at a 107-unit property with a phenomenal maintenance supervisor—organized, reliable, and proactive. Residents were happy. Units were clean and ready on time. My job was smooth because I wasn’t constantly putting out fires.
But I’ve also worked with someone who didn’t care at even larger properties. He was disorganized, resistant to feedback, and took no pride in his work. Simple turns would sit untouched for weeks. I’d show up the day before move-in and find lights out, trash left behind, dirty cabinets, broken parts, and no effort made. So now I’m cleaning, chasing vendors, and missing calls from prospects. And when residents move in unhappy? Is leasing and the property managers taking the heat.
As a renter, I’ve lived this nightmare too. I moved into a unit that clearly hadn’t been touched by anyone but vendors. The vendors who did the turn were also terrible. Filthy cabinets, broken blinds, paint slapped on, mouse droppings in the garage, broken dryer, clogged sinks—the list goes on. And the worst part? I knew the leasing staff couldn’t fix it. They were apologetic and clearly dealing with the same unresponsive maintenance team. I could feel their embarrassment.
It’s now April. I moved in September 2024. Most of my work orders still aren’t complete. My security camera even caught a tech going through my kitchen cabinets while we were gone. When I brought it up to their supervisor, they all denied it.
Bottom line: bad maintenance ruins properties. It drags down reviews, burns out leasing & management staff, and makes residents pissed off and miserable in the property we sold them renting. It makes us look like inept fools. We can’t fix disposals or install blinds—we rely on our maintenance team to do their job so we can do ours. A great maintenance team can make a property shine. A bad one? Can sink it fast. Show more

The hardest part of being a leasing agent? Hands down—having a poor maintenance team.
I’ve seen both sides of the coin. I worked at a 107-unit property with a phenomenal maintenance supervisor—organized, reliable, and proactive. Residents were happy. Units were clean and ready on time. My job was smooth because I wasn’t constantly putting out fires.
But I’ve also worked with someone who didn’t care at even larger properties. He was disorganized, resistant to feedback, and took no pride in his work. Simple turns would sit untouched for weeks. I’d show up the day before move-in and find lights out, trash left behind, dirty cabinets, broken parts, and no effort made. So now I’m cleaning, chasing vendors, and missing calls from prospects. And when residents move in unhappy? Is leasing and the property managers taking the heat.
As a renter, I’ve lived this nightmare too. I moved into a unit that clearly hadn’t been touched by anyone but vendors. The vendors who did the turn were also terrible. Filthy cabinets, broken blinds, paint slapped on, mouse droppings in the garage, broken dryer, clogged sinks—the list goes on. And the worst part? I knew the leasing staff couldn’t fix it. They were apologetic and clearly dealing with the same unresponsive maintenance team. I could feel their embarrassment.
It’s now April. I moved in September 2024. Most of my work orders still aren’t complete. My security camera even caught a tech going through my kitchen cabinets while we were gone. When I brought it up to their supervisor, they all denied it.
Bottom line: bad maintenance ruins properties. It drags down reviews, burns out leasing & management staff, and makes residents pissed off and miserable in the property we sold them renting. It makes us look like inept fools. We can’t fix disposals or install blinds—we rely on our maintenance team to do their job so we can do ours. A great maintenance team can make a property shine. A bad one? Can sink it fast.

Lisa Manning Having to answer to maintenance issues… maintenance is everything in this business and trickles up the chain into the CEO’s office if they can’t get it right.
Let’s start off with maintenance pay- compensate them more than leasing/ assistants. Pay the over time and mileage. On the flip side- HR stop allowing criminals to pass background checks! I cannot tell you how many felon maintenance peeps have worked for me in the most luxurious sites (found out by the employee themselves after start dates)!

Ellie Norton Not becoming too dependent on the technology that is in place to help support you, but not completely do the job for you; your incredible charm, connection and sales abilities are still needed. IE: I see a trend that we’re letting AI do all the lead nurturing for us.

Donna Langford No one answers the phone, how can they do your their job, they don't answer the phone.They do nothing about trying to get the prospect there.I called a property three days trying to speak to the manager after going through the automated prompts 3 times I hung up. Today I received a call from the property to see if I was still interested in an apartment??? How can they lease like that!!!

Chris Finetto All crap the managers dump on them, work that the managers don’t want to do.

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Affordable housing folks get ready....
www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/04/15/doge-ss…

Affordable housing folks get ready....https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/04/15/doge-ssa-immigration-trump-housing

Megan Goodmundson Clearly they wont care if actual status is legal or illegal. 😡 😡 😡

Marsha Zimmerman Wish I could share this......

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Has anyone used a successful strategy for retention on smaller one bedrooms and studios? I often find it’s harder to renew residents in smaller square footage apartments as these styles tend to attract transient residents. Would love ideas!

Brent Williams This is fascinating - I wonder if there are industry stats that compare longevity with square footage. On a related note, I just read recently that the average square footage for new construction ticked up in 2024 after several years of shrinking.

Alex Mann Brent Williams That is likely because developers are seeing lack of resident longevity on smaller styles along with WFH trends favoring larger styles.

Chris Finetto Brent Williams - That’s been my experience. Larger units had average tenancy of 30 to 36 months. Small studios and similar were half that length. Tend to be temp workers, etc…
So what you may, I never followed the rules. But I really focused on single elderly, fixed income residents. Had to wait for the first Thursday after the second Wednesday for rent - day after SS checks dropped.

Jordan Else We price below market and our residents stay for years. Have a few going on ten plus.

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Trump Hits Pause on Tariffs—Inflation Cools, Borrowing Costs Steady: Is Now the Time to Act?

With inflation easing to 2.4%, Trump’s 90-day tariff pause, and borrowing costs holding steady at 4.25%–4.5%, the stars are aligning for commercial property owners.

This rare moment of stability...

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🏡 Amenities attract, but community retains. 🤝 People may sign a lease for the pool, gym, or modern finishes—but they stay because they feel at home. Creating a true sense of belonging means going beyond the basics. A resident rewards program can set your property apart by fostering appreciation, engagement, and loyalty.

Imagine the impact of remembering a resident’s birthday, celebrating their lease anniversary, or publicly recognizing them for being a... Show more

Teresa Bruno

Guest Insider A millions times yes!

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In multifamily marketing, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective tools for filling lease-ups quickly. With its ability to target prospective renters at the right time and place, PPC ads can help property managers achieve occupancy goals faster while maximizing their advertising budget. Here's how to use PPC ads strategically to accelerate your lease-up process. 1. Start with Pre-Lease Awareness Campaigns Kick off your ...

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