9 Types of Requests to Expect When Renting to Students
When you’re renting an apartment or a house to students, it’s likely you’ll be dealing with a lot of residents who have never rented before. As a result, you might find yourself facing a tumult of basic questions and requests. Knowing what to expect can make it a lot easier to deal with resident requests when they arise. Here are some of the most common requests from student residents.
Maintenance
The most common requests you’ll receive as a property manager for student housing will probably be maintenance requests. Most college students are not particularly handy, so you might have requests for even the most simple of problems, like a clogged sink, to be fixed. Fortunately, putting in a maintenance request can be an indication that a student wants to take care of their apartment or house. It’s therefore more likely that they’ll leave it in good shape when they move out, as they’re keeping up with any problems that arise.
Furniture and Appliances
Most students who are coming from dorm-style living will be used to having furnished spaces, so they’ll probably want an apartment or house that comes furnished. The less students have to buy themselves the better, so expect students to ask for their space to be kept furnished, as well as stocked with appliances, if you make that an option.
If you don’t provide furnished spaces, you might want to keep a few suggestions in mind for easy ways that students can furnish their apartments at a low cost.
Subleasing
Subleasing is especially common among students, as many will sign a year-long lease but won’t stick around for the summer or will study abroad for a semester. Expect to receive a lot of requests to sublease around the middle of the semester. Fortunately, while you might have a lot of students wanting to sublease, you’ll probably also have a fair amount of students wanting to rent just for a semester or for the summer. If a student needs help finding someone to take over their apartment, suggest that they ask around campus; chances are, they won’t have to look too hard to find a willing subtenant.
Security
For students, and for their parents, security is an important factor that plays into choosing a place to live. As this might be the first time some students are living away from home, you can expect to face frequent questions in this regard from interested students and their worried parents. If you don’t already have strong security measures in place, you might receive some requests for security cameras to be installed in hallways, or even for security guards if your building has a lobby.
Parking
Many students bring their cars to school, so it’s likely you’ll have a lot of requests for parking spaces. Depending on the area, it may or may not be feasible to provide parking to all of your residents. If you don’t have an area for parking, be prepared with viable suggestions for where residents might be able to park. Whether it’s an area with a lot of street parking or one of the university’s parking structures, students will appreciate your awareness of this concern and willingness to help.
Pets
Many college students, away from home and therefore from their pets for the first time, desperately want a furry companion with them at school. You may have set rules concerning the allowance of pets, but even so don’t be surprised if you have residents trying to find a way around them. Typically buildings set specific restrictions concerning dogs and cats, but you may want to keep in mind a policy concerning smaller pets. Students often turn to fish and hamsters when they’re not allowed larger animals.
Refunds
If a resident overpays on their rent or perhaps pays for a parking spot that they end up not needing, they’ll probably request a refund. However, this may be difficult for you to provide once a check has been cashed. Try offering a credit to the resident’s account that can count towards the next month’s rent. Given the fact that many college students are tight on money, try to be extra-conscientious when it comes to requests of this nature.
Allergies
Especially if your property is carpeted, you might have residents who are allergic to the materials used in the room and want to change it. If you don’t want to change any of the materials, make that clear before your residents sign the lease. Otherwise, you may be dealing with continued requests for a project that you don’t have the time or money to undertake.
Noise Complaints
Especially if your residents are a mixture of serious students and frequent partiers, you might be getting a lot of noise complaints and even requests to shut down parties. Instituting quiet hours will not always discourage college students from turning up their music late at night, but provided there was a section about acceptable noise levels and quiet hours in the lease that your residents signed, you at least will have leverage to convince them to quiet down.