Many student housing providers offer conflict mitigation as a way to keep the peace between roommates. If you don’t, it’s a good idea to start. Roommate conflicts increase turnover and impact your bottom line. Below are three tips to share with your student residents. They promote clear communication between roommates. More importantly, they cut turnover costs for you and preserve your reputation with prospects. Don’t overtax your friendship. Their message: Your friend may be the most compassionate and forgiving person that you know—don’t take advantage of that. Don’t splurge your rent money on SXSW tickets and then pay late on rent because “she’ll understand.” Certainly don’t eat the last of her Greek yogurt. Strained relationships add stress to living arrangements and can affect your academic performance. Honor your friendship like it matters. Your benefit: Bills are paid on time which is a huge plus in student housing. With better relationships between roommates, there are fewer squabbles that require third party negotiation. Your staff is free to focus on loyalty initiatives and new leases. Learn to talk about money together Their message: You will have to negotiate how much you’re willing to spend each month on cable, internet, and optional fees like trash removal (rather than doing it yourself). When you’re comfortable talking to each other about money upfront, there are fewer chances for spending beyond your roommate’s ability to keep up. You can room together happier, longer. Your benefit: This is especially important when rent does not include utilities and other fees in a single bundle. If one resident is more wasteful than the others due to poor roommate pairing, turnover is inevitable. By having money conversations upfront, roommates can pair with other like-minded (or like-budgeted) individuals and reduce the need to switch roommates....

The warm weather months are kind to leasing agents. Residents don’t need much incentive to come to the outdoor community parties. The colder months, however, can bring the fun of an active community to a grinding halt. How and where can onsite staff host resident events during the colder months? We’ve got four fun community event ideas that are indoors, affordable, and sure to build a sense of community and belonging for your residents. Lease renewals, anyone? Local Gym During the winter, many people are planning or executing their New Year’s fitness resolutions. Local gyms are eager to recruit new members and you’re eager to find an affordable, fun place to host a party. Pick the best equipped gym near your community and let your interests combine! Work up a deal with your local gym: request free guest passes (which most gyms offer anyway) and you’ll supply their potential, future members. Get residents together for games of basketball, racquetball, or popular Zumba and yoga classes. The more that the gym has to offer, the more opportunities your residents have to bond and maintain their New Year’s resolutions. The best part: residents will likely join the gym and find workout buddies amongst neighbors, adding two more reasons for them to love your community. Aquatic Center Who says you can’t swim in winter? Check out your local aquatic center, often hosted by the county. Many centers, especially those constructed within the last decade, have indoor pools, heated indoor pools, saunas and hot tubs. Space rentals are often quite affordable, especially in the winter when business is slow. All that is left for you to do is supply a few light snacks (because no one wants to swim on a full stomach). Dave and Busters D&B offers...

Reducing turnover (and loss of revenue) requires multiple factors working together in harmony, such as a great location, beautiful homes and amenities, and a maintenance crew that is always on point. But perhaps most importantly, the relationship that renters build with the onsite staff can make or break a lease renewal. Fortunately for onsite staff, developing good social skills won’t require an additional line in the budget and it can make a world of difference for retention. Let’s take a look at three points that can improve relationships between staff and residents, leading to happier days and longer stays. Visual Connection It’s a basic social convention that many of us avoid for one reason or another but eye contact is a skill that will take you far in multi-family services. Eye contact is vital for successful during face-to-face communication, whether you are the listener or the speaker. Studies show that listeners are more likely to trust what you say and have confidence in your abilities when you visually connect with them. As you listen, eye contact becomes equally important. When you fail to make eye contact with your residents, you risk conveying: A lack of interest in the speaker: “I’m too busy to pay attention to you.” A lack of interest in the matter at hand: “Oh look… a squirrel is outside.” Dishonesty: “I can’t look him in the eyes while I try to wiggle out of this.” Dominance: “You’re unworthy of my attention.” A lack of eye contact can put a resident in defensive mode, offended by your nonverbal cues and ready to counterattack. This can quickly turn a simple complaint or concern into an argument. The resident will be harder to please and more likely to express aggression on review boards and...