Ways to Have a Great Move-In Day for Your Residents

 

 

As new residents move to your property, it’s important that they feel informed and welcomed to their new home. With this in mind, when new residents walk through your doors for the first time, you need to be ready for them.

Join us as we explore how to streamline the move-in process for new residents and discover some helpful tips on how to prepare yourself and your team for their arrival.

In this guide, we cover:

• Ways to streamline your move-in day for your residents
• Best practices for guaranteeing a successful transition to your property

 

 

Ways to streamline your move-in day for your residents

Streamlining the move-in day for your residents is crucial for creating a positive experience and fostering a smooth transition to your property.

Here are four ways to guarantee a seamless move-in day for your residents:

1. Reserve move-in times
2. Prepare a move-in packet
3. Provide property maps
4. Include information about amenities

 

1. Reserve move-in times

Regardless of how many people move into your building at once, it’s important to establish organized procedures that facilitate a smooth transition. Creating a scheduled move-in process helps ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.

Before the new lease period begins, reach out to incoming residents with a selection of move-in time slots. For instance, you can use resources like Rent Manager’s Move-in Wizard feature to help organize information such as property, unit, resident name, and move-in date.

Scheduling move-in times will reduce stress for you and your staff and allow on-site moving resources to be more readily available for residents. Parking may also be less of a hassle for new and existing residents when arrival times are already established.

 

2. Prepare a move-in packet

There are several questions that may come to mind for a new resident when they move into your property like:

• “When do I pick up my keys?”
• “How do I get rid of boxes and trash?”
• “Where am I allowed to park?”

These are common questions for new renters to ask, so it’s good practice to proactively offer answers to their concerns before they move in.

Provide your residents with a simple packet to guide them through your property’s procedures. While it doesn’t need to look fancy, it does need to be useful. Make sure to have hard copies of the packet available for renters and upload it to Rent Manager for easy (and automated) distribution via email. This will save everyone a lot of stress and time.

 

3. Provide property maps

Unless your residents are familiar with your complex and the surrounding area, they may not know where to go upon arrival. Providing a map with highlighted points of interest can help reduce the number of calls and texts to your office. With Rent Manager’s Bird’s Eye View feature, you can create a diagram of the property and display designated unloading/loading zones, trash/recycling drop-off areas, pet-walking spaces, visitor parking, etc.

 

4. Include information about amenities

Detail the amenities available on-site, like fitness centers, swimming pools, communal spaces, package rooms, or laundry facilities. Moreover, include any access codes or instructions they might need to access these shared spaces.

Further, if your property uses proptech amenities like a video intercom or smart locks, including information for residents on how to use these smart amenities in your welcome packet helps foster a smooth transition to their new home.

Smart amenities enhance convenience and security, but they can also be unfamiliar to newcomers. By providing clear instructions and highlighting how to utilize these features, you can empower new residents to get the most out of these systems.

 

Discover ButterflyMX’s beginner’s guide to access control: 

 

Best practices

As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” It’s your responsibility to provide incoming renters with instructions and best practices for optimizing their moving day experience. Include answers to frequently asked questions, a checklist of how their unit should look upon move-in, and contact information with guidelines for reaching your team about moving-related issues.

 

Standard rules and protocols

It’s important that new renters are aware of your community’s rules and resources. Educate them on what’s allowed at your property and what isn’t (smoking, pets, grills, etc.). This could include potential damage charges, where to find shelter if severe weather occurs, and any safety protocols and cleaning practices to follow. With this in mind, it should also include any essential details residents should be aware of on their move-in day.

 

Build a strong community

Establishing a strong community culture is crucial for connecting with your renters. To create this type of environment, consider hosting monthly gatherings to welcome new residents to your property. This gives them a chance to settle in and look forward to events where they can meet their neighbors. Continue to host smaller gatherings on a consistent basis.

Further, Rent Manager’s Community Calendar feature can display your scheduled get-togethers for all renters to view. Building a welcoming atmosphere takes time, but the benefits are worth the effort. A strong community culture can help your residents develop meaningful relationships, generate positive online reviews, increase retention rates, and create an environment where they feel safe and happy.

 

Start today

As a property manager, your goal is to make the move-in day as smooth as possible and to provide an excellent resident experience so your residents won’t want to leave. While moving day can be stressful, with helpful procedures in place, sending important information prior to the actual move, and incorporating move-in tools from Rent Manager property management software, a lot of that stress can be alleviated—for your renters and staff.

You want residents to remember their move-in day as a positive, welcoming experience. By implementing these tips, we’re sure it will lead to positive feedback and less turnover for your property!

 

 

Author’s Bio:

Rent Manager is proven property management software for companies that handle real estate portfolios of every type and size. With complete accounting and reporting resources, intuitive marketing and mobile tools, comprehensive work order and management capabilities, and an ever-growing network of integrated providers, Rent Manager is the one software you need to continue growing your exceptional business.