{"id":3687,"date":"2025-07-21T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentecdirect.com\/blog\/?p=3687"},"modified":"2025-07-21T11:31:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T18:31:39","slug":"are-you-ready-for-back-to-school-move-in-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentecdirect.com\/blog\/are-you-ready-for-back-to-school-move-in-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Ready for Back-to-School Move-In Day?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"college<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

With the first day of school around the corner, college towns across the nation are preparing for the mass arrival of students moving into rental housing.<\/span> If you own a rental property in a college town, there are some important to-dos that you will need to check off your list.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

While a lease may begin at any time throughout the year, rental housing in college towns tend to have the majority of leases starting at the same time in late summer or early fall, mirroring the academic calendar of the local universities.  For property managers who work in college towns, this means getting ready for hundreds of tenants collecting keys and moving in on the same day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developing efficient processes will help ensure move-in day goes smoothly for tenants and management in your student rentals.    <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Leases Signed In Advance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting your property rented out as soon as possible before school starts is critical. Once the term begins, it\u2019s much harder to find tenants. You do not want to risk letting your property sit vacant during prime rent-collecting months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on your market, student housing can get leased well before move-in day. Some college towns sign lease paperwork as early as 6 months prior to the start of the lease term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

College students are used to conducting business online and will expect the same from their property managers. This means you should have a great online presence, including advertising online, online rental applications, and offer <\/span>online lease signing<\/span><\/a> to make the process convenient and efficient for your student rentals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnover Season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Synonymous with back-to-school move-in day is turnover season<\/a>. With hundreds of tenants vacating their apartments in preparation for new occupancy, property managers sometimes only have a week or two to get hundreds of units in make-ready condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remind your tenants in advance about move-out expectations, the timeline for vacating their unit and penalties for leaving a dirty or damaged property. Even though you have a security deposit to cover the cost of damages and cleaning, by getting your tenants to do all the cleaning and maintaining the property throughout the year, you will have less work to do getting the unit ready for the next lease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure your move-out inspection paperwork is ready for an efficient walk-through, and your cleaning service and maintenance vendors are ready to prioritize your property as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help you through the process, check these tips for a smooth tenant turnover<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move-In Day Logistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reach out to future tenants a couple of weeks before their lease will begin to remind them of move-in day requirements. Your communication should include what day their lease will start, what tenant funds (if any) are due on move-in day, what time, and where they can pick up the keys to their new home. Student apartment communities should remind future tenants that move-in day will be very busy and their preparation will help the day go smoothly for everyone. You should also remind them to set up utility accounts before moving in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n