People may choose to move out of an apartment for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is because of a personal or financial issue – new job, new house, life change, or change of income…which is out of everyone’s control.
But sometimes… it is because of specific issues.
Here are 6 of the most common reasons people move out of an apartment (our opinion). It’s worth noting that the best apartment buildings rarely have these issues.
1. Poor Property Maintenance
If the resident feels the landlord is not responsive enough to their maintenance requests, they will quickly get agitated. This means responding quickly and appropriately. There can always be disagreements, but mutual respect and an expedient turn-around is important. Of course, sometimes the issue is out of the landlord’s control (i.e. a part is on backorder), but communication is key.
2. Excessive Noise
You will often hear people say the ‘walls are paper thin’….and ‘I hear everything’. This is what we are talking about here. Most of the time this is because the apartment building doesn’t have adequate sound control measures, but oftentimes, it is because of an exceptionally noisy neighbor, that the landlord can’t control. You’ll want to find an apartment with good sound control measures that mitigate the potential problem of noisy neighbors.
3. Poor HVAC System
There is no doubt that HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) systems have become important to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. But if the HVAC system is not properly maintained and there are multiple days when the HVAC is not working, it may create sufficient cause or motivation for the tenant to move out. When HVAC issues are reported, people expect reasonably timely responses.
4. Poor Communication
Pro-active communication is about anticipating what messages to send to residents with regards to upcoming improvements (i.e. will be paving the driveway). Re-active communication is about making sure to communicate promptly with regards to genuine complaints or issues.
5. Pest Problems
Pest problems are common issues in apartments and if this is a recurring issue then it can lead to frustrations. The best way to keep tenants happy is to try to eliminate pest issues as quickly as possible, so the property is comfortable to live in.
6. Poor Amenities
Some apartments are better equipped than others. If one apartment doesn’t have the same features (i.e. balcony, swimming pool), and they find another place with better amenities, then it’s possible they can move out.
Every person has a different tolerance for these issues, but these 6 issues are certainly the hot-spot issues that cause people to move out of apartments (outside of life circumstances).
