3 Tips to Prepare your Property for Winter

Winter is coming … don’t get caught out in the cold!
One of the best ways to keep up with building maintenance in winter conditions is to know what needs to be done before cold weather sets in, and prepare your property, residents, and staff early.
Make Lists.
List Quick-Fix items that you can do early like check smoke alarms, chimneys, heaters, gutters.

List Time Consuming tasks that take more time, but are necessary like replacing roofs, railings, broken steps, faulty windows.
List Worst Case Scenarios and evaluate if you are equipped to handle the emergencies, e.g. flooding, roofs collapsing, trees falling.
List Foreseeable Service Requests that can’t be done in advance like clearing the daily snow, frozen pipes, etc..
Remember the most important part: Heating
During the winter, heat is the most important item in your apartment complex. It needs to work properly and consistently. Whether it’s gas or electric or you even have a chimney, service them in advance of winter to ensure that you won’t have problems come January.
– Complete Maintenance Early and Fix Items Quickly
Protect and prepare for winter by getting your checklist done early. During winter, make sure that you clear up snow, ice, and other hazards. Fixing this quickly will avoid a potential lawsuit.

Be like Santa, Ask Tenants What They Want in a Christmas Party

In order to have a successful holiday party, make sure to know what your tenants want. Send out a questionnaire with options, and ask them in person about what would get them interested.
Some ideas to ask your tenants about:
Live band or DJ
Gift Card Giveaway or Rent Voucher
Pet-friendly atmosphere or pet costume contest
Low key potuck dinner
Secret Santa
Cookie Exchange
Community Crafts
Santa onsite for photos
Holiday beverages
Theme Party like Tacky Christmas Sweaters
Community Tree decorating
Holiday movie screening
Listen to your community and they’ll help you craft a celebration they’re excited about.

6 Ideas for Hosting Thanksgiving in an Apartment

Apartments may be smaller than a house, but that doesn’t mean you can’t host a great  Thanksgiving dinner!

Be efficient with your space by rearranging your furniture
Rather than trying to fit a long table to accommodate all your guests, relocate your furniture.
Put drinks in a cooler, not the fridge.
Just like a picnic, put your drinks in the cooler. You’ll free up important space for food in the fridge.
Use Crock Pots and Hot Plates
There’s never enough room in the oven for all the food to stay warm. Save on energy and keep the room cooler by using crock pots and hot plates. 
Have fun with lighting.
Try adding some lamps or hanging lights to give the space a warm ambiance.  
Disposable Tableware
Putting on Thanksgiving is work enough. Have disposable and festive disposable tableware and skip the dishes.
Make it a pot luck party
Ask your guests to chip in by bringing some of the side dishes. It’s the true spirit of Thanksgiving to have everyone come together and share!

5 Fun Halloween Ideas for Your Apartment Community

Here are some ideas to get your residents together for a spooky or family friendly time:
Lobby candy – Whether you’re a large or small community, simply having a bowl of candy at the front desk is something everyone loves during Halloween. Add a personal touch by delivering them to your residents or placing in a mailbox with a note.
Scary movie night – If you have a commons area, set up a scary movie or family friendly Halloween movie night. Use Netflix, rent or encourage residents to bring their favorites.
Used costume swap – Costumes get expensive, so why not have residents get together and swap costumes? It gets them together and helps everyone save a few bucks this year.
Pumpkin carving – Nothing says Halloween like carving pumpkins.  If you have a community room, try hosting a pumpkin carving party there. And make sure to have them on display outside your property.
Trick-or-Treating – Set a specific time that residents know that it’s time for Trick or Treating in the community. Add extra lighting to dim areas outside to help keep it safe.