How to Create a Tenant Welcome Package

A thoughtful and well-organized Welcome package can make a tenant’s transition to a new place more enjoyable and seamless. The package can provide essential information, treats, and useful items to help tenants settle into their new homes and neighborhoods. The Welcome package can be a basket filled with goodies, a folder or envelope with paperwork and discount vouchers, or anything in between.

Consider the property’s location and include items that make sense, given the neighborhood and time of year. For example, a tenant moving into a unit near the beach in summer might want to add sunscreen and a reusable water bottle. The contents of the basket do not need to cost a great deal; it only takes a few thoughtful items to lay the groundwork for a harmonious landlord-tenant relationship for the long term.

Start With a Welcome Letter

Set the tone for a satisfying landlord-tenant relationship by providing a warm welcome letter to create a tenant welcome package. A brief, handwritten note can lend a personal feel—express appreciation to the tenant for choosing to lease or rent the property. Include handouts with essential information such as key contact numbers for the landlord, property manager, and emergency contacts for maintenance and other issues. Provide a summary of crucial rules and expectations for the property, such as parking regulations and noise curfews.

Add information on local attractions or upcoming community events for the new tenant and their family to enjoy. Encourage questions, sharing of concerns, and open communication with the tenant. If the property uses property management software, include a website address or instructions on accessing the tenant portal. Describe resources such as online rental payment and repair or maintenance requests and how tenants can access these services.

Lease Agreement Copy

Include a copy of the lease agreement in a welcome package to ensure the tenants have a reference copy and to prevent misunderstandings. Consider highlighting essential information such as rental due dates and payment methods accepted. Include any consequences for late payments.

The lease agreement should also include rules about guests, common area usage, and noise levels while mentioning consequences for violating the lease. Ensure the lease clarifies who maintains responsibility for specific types of maintenance and the procedures followed by the landlord’s staff. Finally, the lease should inform about renewal processes, including timeline durations and terminations.

Local Neighborhood Information

Due to work and other constraints, tenants may not know the area well or have time to explore it. Create a tenant welcome package with a local map and guides to restaurants, shops, and activities. Consider adding a gift card for a coffee and bagel or a meal at a nearby establishment.

Include the latest edition of the local newspaper so the tenant can get acquainted with their new locale. Also, include a list of preferred service providers, such as mechanics, doctors, and dentists.

Move-In Checklist

A move-in checklist details the property’s condition when the tenant moves in, protecting both parties. Provide a fill-in form that includes room-by-room sections. If the unit has pre-existing damage, document it with photographs when possible. If tenants notice damage, ask them to include pictures when they submit the completed form.

Give plenty of free space for the tenant to include their observations on the property’s condition. For future reference, provide tenants' steps and contact details to report maintenance issues. Once completed, the landlord and the tenant must sign the completed form to confirm its accuracy.

Quick-Start Utility Set-Up Guide

Provide new tenants with a simple, step-by-step guide to help them set up essential services quickly. Add a list of required or recommended utility providers with relevant website or phone contact details, including gas, electric, and water. Include recommendations for add-on services, such as cable, internet, and waste management.

Tenants will appreciate a thoughtful list of tips for reducing utility expenses. Provide instructions for setting up accounts and data on average costs to help tenants plan. Include details on energy-efficient property solutions. Energy-star appliances, LED, and motion-activated lighting can help tenants save on utility bills.

Tenant’s Rights and Responsibilities

Educating tenants on their rental rights is essential to maintain legal compliance and transparency. Provide a summary of important tenant protections under applicable local landlord-tenant laws.

Define landlord policies, such as when and how landlords can enter the property (they must give notice before entry). Explain how a tenant can request repairs or file complaints.

Include guidelines on how the tenant must participate in the property’s upkeep and provide web links to official tenant rights resources.

Household Basics

When tenants move in, they might find they’re short on necessities, so create a tenant welcome package with some items to bridge the gap. Add common kitchen and bathroom items, such as a roll of toilet paper, dishwashing liquid, a sponge, a few garbage bags, and a bar of soap, as these items are often hard to locate on move-in day. Consider providing a coloring book and crayons for a family with children and a few pet treats for tenants with a dog or cat.

A small potted plant, like a succulent, is an inexpensive and thoughtful gift. Other useful gifts include a recipe book, a pen, matches, wet wipes, and a small odor-diffusing candle. Add a package of removable adhesive wall hooks to preserve the condition of interior walls. Include an inexpensive cutting board for kitchen use to protect against damage to kitchen counters. If the unit has hardwood floors, give the tenant inexpensive felt floor pads or rubber coasters to make moving furniture easier without scratching or damaging the wood flooring.

Security Deposit and Move-Out Information

While move-out information might seem premature, clear security deposit guidelines prevent conflicts or disputes at the end of the tenant’s lease. Giving tenants a guide called “How to Get Your Security Deposit Back When You Move” can encourage them to take better care of the property.

Include a list of steps for cleaning and maintaining the unit, and provide a list of conditions that could trigger deductions from the security deposit upon move-out. Provide a list of cleaning-inspection bullet points covered in the move-out inspection. List the details of the process for giving notice to move out, and encourage tenants to document the property’s condition before they leave.

Move-In Day Snacks & Drinks

When tenants move in, they typically have a long day of moving and unpacking boxes and furniture ahead of them. Provide refreshing drinks and snacks to help them power through and move in.

Consider providing a basket with cold, bottled water, soda or lemonade, instant coffee, tea, or cocoa. For sustenance, provide small packs of trail mix, chips, candy bars, or mixed nuts.

Maintenance and Community Policies

Whether the tenant’s unit exists in a duplex or a large, multi-unit complex, they need to know the rules and guidelines of their lease agreement. Provide documentation that outlines pet policies, decorating rules, and the protocol for emergency maintenance and repair contacts and procedures. Add clear language about what qualifies as an “emergency” repair.

Outline rules for usage of common areas and guest policies. Include emergency contact information for the landlord, and also list police, fire, and medical emergency phone numbers as well as the property manager’s emergency contact number. Add details on local hospitals, urgent care centers, and contact details for hotlines to report utility outages. Give a map of the property and unit with marked areas that designate fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Include directions on evacuation plans in case of a fire or other natural disaster.

Make New Tenants Feel at Home

Giving tenants a Welcome package or basket is not only a kind gesture but also a tool to create a smooth, positive rental experience for both parties. By providing helpful information up-front, landlords can ensure tenants know the expectations for property maintenance and more.

Keeping a property well maintained, such as adding residential and commercial deck waterproofing to common areas such as pool decks, increases its value and desirability. Upgrade your property and tenant experience by contacting the professionals at West Coast Deck to see how we can help. Contact us today!