If you are anything like most Sacramento landlords, you realize that the demands of renters in 2020 and moving forward are very different from those seen in 2019. COVID has changed the way we as a society approach everything from renting an apartment to running errands. If you want to keep your Sacramento rental units filled with the highest quality tenants from now on, you are going to need to adjust your strategy to meet the new demands of renters. Here is what you can expect on the list of demands from renters for the rest of 2020 and beyond.
A Popular Sacramento Neighborhood
When it comes to location there are two major demands that you will see over and over again from renters:
- Suburban and safe feeling neighborhood with space and privacy
- Neighborhoods with low crime rates, great schools, and walkability
Depending on how tenants were impacted by COVID they are either going to want to go more rural or urban and trendy. Depending on where your rental units are located, you need to develop a marketing strategy that plays to those strengths. For example, the written property description should exploit the pain points that your property alleviates whether that is a more rural or urban location.
Move-In Condition
There is no denying the fact that tenants have higher standards than ever before and they will not even consider properties that are not move-in ready. However, if you are new to investing in Sacramento real estate, you may be wondering what that really looks like. Here is what tenants will expect from a move-in condition apartment:
- Fresh paint and flooring
- Clean, sanitary, and free of cosmetic damage
- No repairs needed
- Working electrical, plumbing, heating, and cooling
- Updated and functional appliances
You would be surprised how a few simple adjustments and upgrades can dramatically improve the amount that you can charge for rent. In fact, getting personalized guidance on how to maximize the rental value of properties through strategic upgrades is one of the most common reasons Sacramento landlords hire Alpha Property Management.
Parking
Having free, off-street parking is quickly becoming more and more of a priority among renters. One of the biggest impacts of COVID is that it highlighted to tenants the importance of watching where every dollar is going. Those that may have once been content with paying for parking will no longer view that as a viable or reasonable allocation of their money. Therefore, you should do anything and everything you can to provide tenants with access to free parking whenever possible.
Accountability, Customer Service, & Follow-Through
Customer service in Sacramento property management is more important than ever before. Those landlords that do not provide high-quality customer service will soon find their tenants jumping ship for properties owned by landlords that do. This means you have no choice but to have a proven system for managing maintenance requests, following up with tenants and prospects, and showing tenants that you care about their experience with their unit.
Want Help Optimizing Your Sacramento Rental Portfolio?
Have you been feeling overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to keep up with evolving tenants’ demands and adjusting your business strategy to survive in a post-COVID world?
You’re, not alone!
Every day, more and more Sacramento landlords just like you are realizing the overwhelming value in hiring an experienced professional property management company like Alpha, to tackle all of these hassles for them. Not only can we take over the day-to-day management, but we can customize a unique strategy to help you maximize your profit margins, plan for the future, and keep your portfolio at peak performance. For more information about how we can help you make the most out of your Sacramento rental properties, give us a call today.