Appreciating Your Rental Management Staff

As the holidays roll around, you may be thinking about what you can do for the people that make your life easier year round. Maybe you’re considering a larger tip for your hairdresser or cards for your co-workers. Have the apartment management staff made that list? They work hard to make sure that the property is maintained and your apartment is comfortable, even if things are not always perfect. Here are four ways to show your appreciation for them:

1. A plate of cookies or other treats can really show apartment management staff that you appreciate their effort. The fact that you took the time to actually make something specifically for them can show appreciation in a way that a random trinket can’t.

2. Depending on your apartment’s culture, you can tip apartment staff. If you choose to tip, though, it’s important to make sure that you tip the entire staff. A typical tip for an apartment building superintendent is between $50 and $200. For a doorman or concierge, $10 to $80 is appropriate, depending on how often you require their help. For a handyman, $15 to $40 is appropriate. If you live in a larger complex with an office staff, tipping may be more complicated.

3. If a staff member at your apartment has gone above and beyond the call of duty, it can be appropriate to give them a more personalized gift, although there can be some limitations on the gifts that their employer allows them to receive from tenants.

4. Jeff Staley, the head of the Apogee Companies which manages apartment communities in eleven states, recommends a letter or card of appreciation. “Managers and companies love to receive these types of testimonials. Property managers and site personnel are motivated in the same way as most other people, ‘praise for a job well done.'”

Gift-giving can vary significantly between apartments; many apartments buildings or complexes have different senses of community than others. Staley mentioned one apartment complex in particular, with an amazing sense of community: “We have a site in Houston, Texas where several of the residents bring lunch and dinner to our office staff on a weekly basis. These residents are so happy with the management of the property and so close-knit, that they go out of their way to provide home-cooked meals for our staff as a gesture of appreciation.”

While few apartment communities are as close as the one Staley mentioned, the holidays are a great opportunity to show apartment staff your appreciation.

Giving a gift to your apartment management staff this year? Post your ideas below.