How to welcome new student tenants to your property

Maintaining a positive relationship with tenants is one of the most important elements of being a landlord or a property manager. If you have student tenants, this is no less true. The relationship between landlords and students has become fractious over the years. We all know the stereotypes. Student tenants have a reputation for being messy, loud, and inconsiderate. Student landlords are slack, cheap, and unreachable. 

It's time to overcome these stigmas.

Establishing a good relationship with your student tenants from the outset will make the tenancy run smoothly for both parties. A great way to get started with this is by giving your student tenants a proper welcome when they move in. This will help to make a positive first impression, improve tenant satisfaction, and encourage loyalty from your student tenants. 

5 ways to welcome student tenants to your property

Properly prepare your property

Due to budget restrictions and the transient nature of the student rental market, most students will require a fully-furnished property. This means you should equip each bedroom with a bedframe, mattress, chest of drawers, and wardrobe. As they are students, offering a desk and chair will also make your property much more attractive. In the communal spaces, you should offer a sofa, a dining table and chairs, and the necessary kitchen appliances. 

If you're renting to students, you can expect to see slightly more wear and tear in your property than usual at the end of a tenancy. After all, your tenants are young and potentially renting for the first time. Don't let this put you off, just make appropriate adjustments. 

Don't provide broken furniture from the outset, assuming that your tenants will cause damages. This will only make them more likely to not respect your property. Instead, invest in affordable but functional furniture options. IKEA is a good place to start if you want to buy the basics on a budget. 

Make it spick and span

At the end of your tenancy, you'd like your property to be returned to you in a clean and orderly state, so that's exactly how you should have it when you had over the keys to your student tenants. It's a good idea to have a professional clean done between tenants moving out and new ones moving in.

Don't lean into the student landlord stereotypes of offering a property full of mould and damp. Making the space look its best will help to create a positive first impression and encourage your student tenants to keep it as nice as possible. 

Inventory and inspection

Once you've set up the property as you want it, go around and carry out a detailed inspection. While you do this, you should create a dated inventory with pictures of the property as it looks before tenants move in. When your tenants check in, get them to review the inventory and sign it if they agree with everything listed. This helps to protect you down the line, should something get damaged or go missing. You can refer to your records to settle any deposit disputes at the end of the tenancy. This will have even more strength if your students have agreed to it too.

Give an in-person introduction

If you can, try to be there when your new tenants collect their keys. This gives you a chance to make a personal introduction, and allows your tenants to put a face to a name. This will make them more comfortable reaching out to you if there is an issue with the property in the future. 

You can also take the tenants on a brief tour of the property, explain how any appliances work, and ask them to review and sign the inventory after. 

Provide a welcome letter

Even if you have met your tenants in person, it's still a good idea to leave a welcome letter or pack. This can just be a short document welcoming them to the property and providing some key information. This could include:

• Your contact details and available hours
• How to report maintenance issues 
• Information about utility providers and meter readings
• Emergency contact information
• Information about parking and building access
• Information about any amenities or services provided
• Details about waste and recycling collection
• Any additional area or property rules

That way, your tenants will have everything they need to hand, and know exactly how to contact you if an issue arises. Students are young, so having all the relevant information about the property provided at the beginning of the tenancy will be a great help and save both parties additional admin in the future. 

Now you know how to welcome your student tenants, you're ready to get those contracts signed and get them settled into their new home.

Looking to attract more student tenants? Why not try listing your property on StuRents.com, the UK's largest student search accommodation platform?