Since we are in the holiday season, what do you all do for your tenants? I’ll start. I usually give my 1 year min staying tenants a small gift - just to thank them for everything (esp not burning down the place, j/k). I figure it is a small cost of doing (good) business.
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I would do to the same for my long-term tenants. I need ideas though. What do you give?
In the past, since by chance most of my tenants are female (that could be separate discussion alone…
) I have given things anywhere from simple chocolates to small lotion gift packages to gift cards if I were too busy to shop that year. I tried to stay around 20 bucks or so. My big bro thinks I am crazy to do that, but it’s how I roll with my tenants and I honestly believe it helps with relations.
I plan on giving one an eviction notice after he just vandalized a neighbors car
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is that even a valid cause for eviction?
Geez, talk about your proverbial lump of coal…
How did you determine he did something to a neighbor’s car? Cameras? Witnesses?
Give each tenant a $20 Home Depot gift card? So that they will take good care of the property.
You are a very thoughtful guy, sfdragonboy.
My landlords don’t give us anything for the holidays. I guess they don’t give us a rent increase either–that comes in September/October–so something there to be grateful for
Chocolates are always safe in my opinion. Lotions/body bath stuff really is more female dependent–I have rarely used anything like that since I was 10 and tend to donate it, but chocolates, even ones I’m really not fond of, will eventually get eaten either on a good day or a bad one.
I give my tenants a waterbed and a scented candle.
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Haha! Are you hoping for some insurance money? 
My vote is for chocolates.
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He vandalized the car, in front of witnesses, belonging to another tenant who was so terrified he moved out. .The kid just went beserk and was checked into a mental health facility for the week. …I am thinking drug induced insanity. …Threatened people with a knife…The cops took away the knife but did not arrest him…He is out now and I have asked him to leave…if he doesn’t I will evict…I have a responsibility to my other tenants. .
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I am curious to know if this kid passed through all your background checks prior to moving in and whether he was an “A” initially but ultimately went berserk
In Tahoe everyone smokes pot…some can handle it some can’t. …thanks to prop 64 every one can smoke pot in Cali…we landlords will have to deal with it…You are alllowed to discriminate against tobacco smokers…but what about pot?
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For the record I voted against 64.
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What do I give my tenants, let’s see…
Water heater broke at one house. I gave them a brand new one. $1500.
A shower door at another house was leaking and PM said it’s too beaten up to repair. I gave them a new one. $900.
Yet another set of tenants was washing dishes one Friday afternoon and noticed water is not going. I had plumber at the house within an hour. $200 on me.
All these happened within the last 2 weeks. 
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Such sweet landlords we have here… I never even thought of giving tenants holiday gifts, but now that it comes up, I should have given my last tenant blue cheese as thanks for the mold left behind in the house… hmmm, I am not daring enough though 
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Obviously, no gifts for any remotely bad tenant. The thing is, at my apartment building, leaves tend to accumulate on the pathways and back area and the tenants take care of it for me. I don’t have to hire a monthly gardener, so a minor gift at the end of the year goes a long way there.
We are so fortunate to be doing so well with increased real estate valuations around here that if a hundred bucks is gonna make my tenants perhaps feel appreciated well I am all for it. No different from employers who surprise employees with christmas bonuses.
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Totally agree. While I see the business side of being a landlord, the fact is that there is a personal side that really does go a long way. It makes you feel better about keeping a place up when it means keeping a relationship up–or at least for women. Maybe some men are different.
This is the first time we’ve had a property manager and the landlords don’t care about us at all. It was disheartening for a while, but it also sets the tone for apathy and minimalism. Before I was renting from a little old lady who we looked after, and we brought her food and sat down for tea. I did what I could to improve the place including painting when we moved in, installing kitchen cabinets, new carpets, and overhead lights–always with permission out of respect for her. And her son, who dealt with the maintenance appreciated everything we did. It meant a lot to me to have that relationship.
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Again, real estate ownership is a business and someone would be crazy to just take their tenants (their customers) for granted. Yeah, in this area particularly, tenants are easy to come by, but imagine you are in a more balanced rental market where good tenants are harder to come by. It sounds like you were a great tenant to that older lady and that is my goal. Who wants constant turnover and downtime that ends up costing you money??? I never nickel and dime especially good tenants. Simply not worth it.
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