When winter comes, there are some very distinct amenities tenants are seeking before signing a rental agreement. Dependent upon the location of your rental property, these amenities can make the difference between a reliable tenant renting from you and seeking a rent elsewhere.
Off-Street Parking
In cities and towns where winter hits—even just on occasion—with snow and ice, tenants are looking for a sense of security in a couple of areas. The first is dependent upon city or town ordinances that demand vehicles be removed from the street during winter storms. These tenants want assurance that you will provide off-street parking for them.
This can happen in a couple of ways. First of all—and by far the most preferred option—is to provide off-street parking year-round for your tenant. If this isn’t possible, however, then one of the next couple of options are good ones.
Some landlords aren’t able to offer parking at their rental property, but they have ample space where they live. Those who offer transportation from the place where tenants will leave their vehicle, and then back again when street parking opens back up, will receive super high marks in their tenants’ minds.
The second option is to direct tenants to a nearby public parking garage. Most cities have them. Offering to pay for a portion—or all—of the costs for parking there during winter storms will speak volumes to your tenants.
Snow Removal, Salting, and/or Sanding
Along the same winter theme, tenants need to know that you, as their landlord, will provide snow removal and sanding or salting of icy driveways, parking lots and walkways at the rental properties. Whether you perform these tasks yourself or hire a contractor to plow doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that these services are prompt and reliable so that tenants need not give them a second thought.
These needs don’t necessarily crop up the same way for tenants in a single-family dwelling since these residences often have off-street parking. That doesn’t alleviate the issue of snow removal, however. Some landlords will provide the aforementioned services for plowing, sanding, etc. for these tenants. Others choose to provide a snow blower, shovel, and sand or salt for their tenants to use in the event of a snowstorm.
When this option is chosen, there must also be a place to store the snow blower during the winter months. If the single-family rental property doesn’t have a garage, it’s helpful to provide a shed in which to store the necessary winter equipment.
These amenities are really quite easy to organize and offer to tenants. In states where winter results in snow and ice, they’re often vital to most tenants. If a landlord won’t provide them, it costs the tenant extra money they might not want or be able to spend.
If you’re looking to fill a rental property during the winter or as winter is approaching, consider offering these amenities up front, before the prospective tenant even has time to ask. You’ll gain points as a savvy, concerned landlord, and that will likely result in a good, long term tenant for your rental property.
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