How to Appease Students on an Apartment Walk-Through

By Francine Fluetsch on November 23, 2016

Giving apartment tours to potential tenants is probably something that you’ve done multiple times, especially if your property lies in a college town where students switch out every year or two.

Apartment walk-throughs are an essential part in snagging those tenants that you really want, so here are some ideas that you can add to your routine to ensure you are hitting all of the key components that students want to get out of an apartment walk-through.

Be flexible.

Students are usually very restricted when it comes to time, especially when they are trying to coordinate with three or four other students that they want to live with, so being flexible is a very crucial step, before the walk-through even begins. If you can show them that you understand their struggle with finding a time where they can all meet up and come see the place, you’ll start off on the right foot and they will be more interested in seeing your place than a place that is strict on viewing times.

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So what’s the best way to go about this? Obviously your time is precious as well, so you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you’re constantly running to your rental place to showcase it in order to accommodate all the students. You can suggest some open house times to potential students over email and take a vote as to how many would be able to show up. For those that can’t make the voted-on time and date, you could set up private appointments so they still have a chance to see the place.

Have paperwork at the ready.

Students usually use the dimensions of the bedrooms to determine how to split up the rent between themselves. If you already have a sheet for them with the dimensions of all the rooms on it, they will be very grateful, and you can ensure that the walk-throughs go at a nice pace since students won’t have to stop and fumble with their measuring tapes. This will show them that you are diligent and on top of things, which is a very important trait in someone who is going to manage their living situation.

I’d also recommend having a list of rules on hand as well for the students to take home and look at, so they know exactly what your expectations are and whether they will match that or not. This will be good for the parents of the students as well, since they want to make sure that their kids are living in safe spaces where they won’t be able to get themselves into too much trouble.

Show them the goods.

If your place just got fixed with a new fridge or carpeting, make sure to point that out to the students. You really want to sell the place, and showing off your regular upkeep of your rental property will earn you major brownie points. Give them the grand tour of your place, let them take pictures and ask questions, and then take them outside to show them any other amenities that come with living at your place. Maybe there is a pool nearby that they would get to use, or a complimentary trash service that comes once a week, or a nice park that they can study in, or a cute path that leads straight to campus, etc.

Use your place and its surroundings to get you some amazing residents. As they are looking around, be sure not to rush them, and let them take in the surroundings that might potentially be theirs very soon.

Make sure it’s clean.

A lot of the time, you will be showing a place of yours that currently has student residents living in it. Make sure to warn them with ample time that you are going to be showing the place, and ask them to clean it up. A dirty place will make a bad impression on potential tenants. They want a clean environment that they can imagine as their own, and if they see it looking like a dump, chances are they will be more hesitant.

When I was touring places during my undergrad, my roommates and I left a tour early because the kitchen was so disgusting. There was moldy food, tons of dishes in the sink, and it did not look like the current tenants were taking care of the place at all. We just kept thinking of all the work that we’d have to put into making it clean, and decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

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If you are worried that your tenants will mess up your chances, why not make them pay a mandatory cleaning fee if the place is not up to your standards? If you have it in the contract, it’s fair game.

Be real with them.

Student tenants are looking for honesty, especially when money is involved. Don’t keep the rent a secret until they are about to sign, and make it clear if you plan to up the rent if they plan on staying for a second year. You want to be transparent with them so there won’t be any surprises later. The more open you are with them about what you expect and the polices you have, the more likely you are to end up with tenants that will respect your rules.

Good luck!

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