MISS MANAGEMENT
CAROL LEVEY | LEVEY ENTERPRISES
Having an apartment move-in
ready in time is a team effort
I’m a maintenance professional and I enjoy moving in residents who appreciate
our efforts to provide a quality apartment home. Recently I have been transferred
to a property where several rent increases have resulted in higher turnover of
existing residents after long tenancies. This means a high volume of market-ready
turns along with more work required hat results in pressure for faster move ins.
Since there are only two of us, I’m losing confidence we are moving in satisfied
residents. I’m told there are surprises on leasing tours. I understand that the
leasing team often talk them through these awkward moments with statements
like- “No problem, this apartment will be perfect when you move in”. Well, that is
just not turning out to be true; more and more. Any advise to keep my enthusiasm
for being a maintenance professional?
T
his is not an uncommon
spiral that plagues apartment
communities from time to
time. The physical condition of
the apartment when toured is a compelling
part of the leasing process. It says so much
about resident expectations, management
policies and the quality of maintenance
routines and repairs. It also is a statement
of whether you and your company deliver
housing value at a competitive price.
Delivering what is promised and/
or expected at move-in is imperative.
Unrealized value by a resident at this
“point of sale” will stick with them
through the entire lease. It will bubble
up in a variety of circumstances when
you expect certain things from them
including: paying rent on time, reporting
service requests before major damage to
the property, giving and responding to
notices in a timely fashion. The point is
this, right now residents are being allowe d
to move-in with a belief that the team is
saying one thing and delivering less. If this
situation continues it creates a mindset
that anything goes on their end.
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This becomes a critical issue for
discussion in team meetings.
From discussing an action plan should
be reduced to writing with assignments
employing the entire team to correct
these conditions.
There needs to be a target list of
move-in ready apartments. This is the list
to show and requires the attention and
priority of the entire team to maintain
the condition of apartments on this list.
Leasing members should be walking
these daily as part of opening routines.
Each will take responsibility to get it
ready or take it off target list. Any home
taken off target list for any reason needs a
planned replacement.
A target list is only maintained if on-
site maintenance team members cannot
keep up with the upcoming availability.
Remember, this is a team solution:
a) cooperation of leasing b) prioritization
by management c) temporary use of
external maintenance from other company
properties or outside vendors.
There must be a community team
standard for market-ready. Your weekly
team meeting should periodically be
conducted inside a vacant apartment
home. Everyone should be asked to closely
walk the apartment with specific questions
in mind like: Would I rent this apartment
for the quoted rent? If not, why not?
This exercise with your team over a brief
period will create a team expectation
of value.
To consistently deliver this value to
every new prospective resident on tour
and every move-in also requires the entire
team. This is done with a ready checklist
that is posted in each vacant apartment
and initialed by everyone that touches
the turn. An apartment is ready when the
documentation, including a final walk, says
it’s ready. Finally, upon move-in a team
member does a personal
walk-through with the resident. If there
is an item needing correction a written
service request is processed with urgency.
The same standards and procedures
can be developed for the common areas
including common area checklists that get
the entire team identifying and delivering
community value.
MAY 2018
TRENDS | 11