Having Trouble Renting Your Vacancies In This Market?

It Might Be Your Landscaping.
Your landscaping maybe sabotaging your best efforts in renting to quality residents. The outside of your building is the first thing a prospect sees when they drive up. First impressions are often lasting Impressions. If your building does not look its best, you may find it hard to attract the best residents. As we all know, a bad tenant is very expensive.

As a property management firm dealing mostly with smaller properties, we have found the buildings with the better curb appeal or with the best landscaping rent faster -and to the preferred resident. We are also able to ask for higher rents with fewer turnovers. When you rent to the better quality tenants, you will find the residents will take better care of your property and do less damage when they move.

In order to improve the curb appeal of your property, we feel that there is a minimum in which a garden service should do. In addition to weekly mowing and edging, the service should turn over the dirt in all of the flowerbeds, remove any weeds and trim the bushes. They should also remove any trash found in the landscaping. The gardener must check the sprinkler system on a weekly basis and investigate any dying or yellowing grass. The grass and planters should

 be fertilized each season. The color flowers should be replaced with new ones every quarter or minimum every six months. (The flowers and fertilizer typically would be an extra cost). Now, all this extra work costs money. It may double your current monthly garden service costs. It is still not that expensive considering the value it will add to your investment. Not only will you be able to raise your rents with confidence; you will attract a higher quality resident.

Your current gardener may be unwilling to spend more time or may not be knowledgeable enough to bring your property to the desired level. Where and how do you find a reason- able landscape company with the ability and willingness to make your property stand out from the rest? One is to consult your AAOC award winning magazine, Apartment News, and interview the landscape companies listed in the Advertisers' Index and the Product & Service Council Members' Buyer's Guide. The other is to look at properties of similar size in your area and find those buildings with outstanding landscaping and find out who does their work. The reward will be well worth the effort.

Next time you drive to your building, look around

 at the large apartment communities in your area. Their landscaping is immaculate. The attention to detail is

impressive. Granted, that type of landscaping is very expensive, and the owners can spread the cost over hundreds of units. As a four-plex owner, those costs are prohibitive. So, what can you do?

Typically, a small-property owner may pay anywhere from $30 to $100 a month for a gardener. This service will often be limited to mowing and edging only. The gardener may only spend about 20 minutes a week at your building. Since you are only

paying him between $7 and $25 a week, he needs a lot of properties to make a living, thus he can not spend the time needed to make your roperty shine.

Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Maintenance and is currently serving on the Board of Directorsfor the Apartment Association of Orange County. He has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988. Jerry can be reached by calling (714) 778-0480 or visit the office at,202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805 or email at: Jerry@JLE1.com
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