Start building your relationship with your residents even before they become part of your multifamily community by providing them with a new tenant welcome letter before move-in. Tenant welcome letters give community managers an opportunity to show their newest residents that they care by providing move-in instructions and other useful information on their new home to ease their transition.
Why Should You Send a Welcome Letter to New Residents?
What to Include in Your New Tenant Welcome Letter
How to Set Up & Turn On Utilities
Let your new residents know if you require specific providers and make them aware of any new-customer deals you’ve negotiated for your community.
How to Get Renters Insurance
Note whether your community or even your state requires renters to purchase renters insurance prior to signing a lease. You can provide renters with contact information for preferred insurance providers if you have any.
Where to Pick Up Keys
Key pickup may seem straightforward, but depending on the style of your building, how many move-ins you’ve scheduled, and a number of other factors, having a clear-cut plan for residents looking to pick up their keys is a must.
Move-In Day Details & Checklist
Similarly, residents will appreciate any information you can provide to make their move-in day go smoothly. Should they be scheduling their move with management ahead of time? Do you need them to bring items in through a certain entrance? Spell everything out to minimize any day-of confusion.
How to Create an Account for Property Management Portal
Include signup and login instructions if your community uses an online portal. This will make it easy for new residents to pay rent or request maintenance assistance from day one.
How to Pay Rent
Let them know expectations around rent payment. Can they pay by check or online? Who should checks be made out to? Do you have a rent drop box for after-hours payments?
How to Put in a Maintenance Request
Ideally, new residents shouldn’t need to put in any maintenance requests or work orders on the first day, but things happen. Let them know how your office accepts and handles maintenance requests to keep any frustration to a minimum.
How to Use Community Amenities
Make sure tenants know which apartment amenities they have access to and how they can take advantage. Make note of any operating hours or important rules to follow.
Garbage, Laundry, and Parking Information
Sometimes the most basic details are some of the most important ones. Make sure new residents know where they can dispose of trash and recycling, do their laundry, and park if they need to. If laundry or parking isn’t provided on-site, make sure you let them know where they can do so nearby.
What to Do in the Event of an Emergency
Make sure you layout your building’s emergency protocol and remind them to keep that information accessible just in case. Residents should know who to call and where to go in the event of any emergency.
Local Recommendations
Let your new tenants know about any local favorites. Include notable restaurants, entertainment venues, and even public spaces like parks or recreation centers to help them feel at home right away.
Contact Information
Include any important contact information for the management office and display it prominently in your letter. Make sure your new residents know that they can contact your team to answer any additional questions they may have about their move-in day, and encourage them to save important numbers for future use.
Discover the most in-demand amenities from real multifamily residents in 2021 – and the impact they have on your community’s most important metrics including occupancy rates, lead generation, and resident renewals.
How Should You Send Your New Resident Welcome Letter?
The most straightforward way to send your new resident letter is by email. This way you can ensure that it reaches them, it gives them an opportunity to respond with additional questions, and it will allow you to include links to the local resources you provide. Many property management software systems should give you the option to auto-schedule these resident communications. Overall, communicating with tenants via email is a great habit to build with your new tenants from the start of the relationship.
You can also provide a printout with their keys on pickup or even place one in their apartment as a part of a welcome package.
Above: Preview of our free new resident welcome letter template.
Free New Tenant Welcome Letter Template
