Tenant Welcome Gift

For those of you who have income properties, are you giving your tenants a welcome gift?

I truly believe that this one, small, relatively inexpensive action sets the tone for your landlord-tenant relationship.

And, it’s a tax deduction (as a Canadian). This is one of the easiest ways to start your relationship off on the right foot, by showing your tenant that you respect them and that you want them to feel as though this is their home. It also shows that you take pride in your rental property and that it is more than just a transaction to you. And I think when a tenant feels that connection to you - human to human - they are more likely to be a great tenant.

So what do you give as the gift?

Try to choose an item that essentially anyone could find useful. The worst thing you can do is give something overly specific or that they don’t want. Before becoming a landlord I spent a lot of time researching and determining what my welcome gift would be. So here it is!

I like to put together a welcome basket of necessities and helpful items. It’s both thoughtful and professional. I leave it in the space for them to find upon move-in. I include:

• hand written welcome card

• $50 gift card to a nearby grocery store

• necessities for the first few days:

  • hand and dish soap

  • dishwasher and laundry detergent

  • garbage and recycling bag

  • natural cleaning products

  • roll of toilet paper and paper towel

I place all of this in a nice storage basket that they can also make use of in their space.

Here are a few other gift ideas.

Generally speaking, these items will work for most all tenants:

• gift card to a nearby restaurant

• selection of locally made goods

• gift card to a home decor store or home improvement store

If you know a bit more about your tenant you could customize it a bit more. If they are new to the city, why not:

• a cookbook with a collection of recipes from local restaurants

• passes to a museum or art gallery

If they have a pet (and you allow pets):

• gift card to a local pet boutique

• toy for their pet

If they have kids:

• gift card to a book or toy store

And what to avoid?

I don’t recommend anything that is overly specific or that could be potentially offensive. I avoid giving:

• alcohol (there are a lot of reasons why someone may not consume alcohol and also if you do have university students they may not be of legal age),

• food items (dietary preferences and restrictions)

In addition to the physical welcome package I also send them an electronic FAQ document about the home and the neighbourhood. I’ll do a full post on that soon!

So what do you think - do you agree that the welcome gift sets the tone?

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Kierstin Smyth Design

Edmonton Interior Design Consultant