Creating Community Among Tenants

By Ashley Paskill on June 20, 2019

While it may be easy to assume that your tenants will be students and will have a group of other students they associate with, you should still make a point to make your apartment complex more community-oriented, especially if most of your tenants are college students. Living in an apartment complex can make it difficult for students who are living in an apartment for the first time to find community, but as a landlord, you can make it easy for the students.

Have a community area and recreational facilities

Students may have a community place to hang out on campus, but they also need a place to hang out with those in the apartment. Also, students may want to get away from their roommates for a little bit. Having a community room allows students to meet other tenants and get to know their neighbors. This also allows a space for students to study and work on group projects without having to bother their roommates.  A community room also allows groups of tenants with similar interests to get together to talk about their interest or do their hobbies together.

Also, having a pool and a fitness center allows students to get together with other tenants to work out and motivate each other. Having a pool, whether indoor or outdoor, is a fun way for tenants to make friends and have fun. You could even have fitness classes for your tenants, which will provide a way for groups of people to come together to do an activity they are passionate about. Having a place for team sports can allow tenants to hold friendly competitions and get to know each other in a fun way. This will ensure that your tenants remain healthy and active while giving them an outlet from school stress.

Image: Florencia Viadana via https://unsplash.com/photos/6soR1lkaAH4

Host events for tenants

Whether it is an end of semester party or picnic or a monthly information session, holding regular events is a great way to get tenants to meet each other and to build a community. The events can be as extravagant or as casual as you wish, as long as it brings your tenants together as a community. If you know most of your tenants are students, hold celebrations at the end of midterms or finals. Get to know your tenants and take a poll as to what kinds of events they would like to attend.

Also, you can host monthly meetings to keep your tenants updated on the apartment complex and the policies. These meetings can also include a time for tenants to ask questions that may be beneficial for other tenants to hear the answers to. They can bring tenants together and help them realize that they are not alone in some of the concerns they are having, which can give your tenants a deeper sense of community. When a bunch of new tenants move in, have a portion of the meeting be about introducing tenants to each other and getting to know other tenants.

Create a social media group or page

Many young people are constantly using social media to get in touch with friends and others around them. In order to make sure you include everyone in the community of tenants, consider making a private Facebook group of your tenants. This will allow your tenants to ask each other questions, introduce each other and make plans to get together. You can also publicize any events you hold for your tenants and make any announcements about the apartments.

Introduce new tenants to those who have been tenants for a while

When new tenants move in, other tenants may be unsure of how to introduce themselves or how to do so. Introduce your new tenants to those who will be their immediate neighbors. From there, the neighbors will be able to introduce them to other tenants and let them know about events they should attend within the apartment complex. At the monthly meetings about apartment updates, introduce any new tenants that moved in within the past month and make them feel welcome.

Have a community garden

While many students may not live in your apartment over the summer, some students will because they take summer classes. Create a space for a community garden. Tenants can each have their own plots where they can grow plants and vegetables. The garden can have seating and walkways so that tenants can admire other plots and exchange vegetables that they may not have grown themselves. You can also include vegetable exchanges in your monthly meetings so that everyone has a chance to see what others have and exchange advice.

Fostering a community among tenants can be a challenge at times, but giving tenants opportunities to meet each other and explore common interests. This will allow them to meet each other when they may never have met each other any other way.

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