So, you’ve got the lucky job of managing the ever-changing desires of
both the property owners and tenants for your company. We’re not saying it’s a bad job, but after being in the
business of chasing peoples’ desires for decades, we definitely understand that this can be a super difficult job, especially when you’re balancing the needs and wants of two entirely different groups of people.
What the tenants might want doesn’t always line up with what the property owners might want (and vice versa), so the landscaping for their shared areas can be a difficult line to tread. The good news? We’ve been doing this for decades and we understand exactly how to make your owners and tenants happy simultaneously – we know, it seems impossible, but trust us, we can make this work.
Check out a few of our tips below to better balance your tenants and property owners needs and wants with your landscaping capabilities. It might seem scary right now, but with a little knowledge and a support from an expert landscape operator, you can make this happen. Check out some of our tips here.
Stay In-the-Know
For some, this might be the most exciting part about keeping your landscaping updated and your owners and tenants happy, for others, this might be the most difficult part – either way, it’s one of the most vital pieces of the puzzle, so pay attention.
When we say stay in-the-know, we mean a few different things. For starters, it means keep up with commercial property trends so that you can keep your landscaping on point and updated to keep your current owners happy and to attract new tenants when the time comes. An outdated, antiquated landscape simply isn’t going to make anyone happy, so staying up-to-date on what’s new, exciting, affordable, and trendy is going to work wonders for your property.
On the other hand, staying ahead of the curve also means that you need to understand how occupancy rates of tenants directly affect the property owners. Attracting new, quality tenants is going to make your property owners happy, and to do that, you need to make sure your landscaping is maintained, up-to-date, and provides a safe and secure spot. New tenants are going to be drawn to these factors, and new tenants means higher occupancy rates, which means happy property owners.
See how staying in the know can benefit both your tenants and your property owners? Check out a few of the latest trends for your space that could make the difference for your property.
Communication is Everything
Finding the balance between an open line of communication and bombarding your tenants and owners with texts and calls is going to be the biggest battle. On one hand, you want to make sure you’re keeping them in the loop on everything you do, but on the other, you don’t want to distress them with constant updates. Our suggestion? Hold a meeting with your property owners and tenants and work out with each of them how they prefer to be contacted and what they want to be contacted about. It’s likely that your tenants and owners don’t care about when you’re cutting the grass (especially since you should have this regularly scheduled and they should already be aware for this routine), but big updates, like tree trimming and pruning, fountain or lighting maintenance, refreshing the mulch, or replanting the flower beds probably should be announced. Additionally, if you’re making the choice to update your landscape to match the latest landscape trends, you’ll need to talk directly to both the tenants and the owners to make sure they approve of the changes. Speaking directly to both of these groups can save you a ton of headaches later in the process, so make sure you do this before you commit to any big changes to your landscape. In the same vein, make sure if clients reach out to you, you respond to them quickly and directly.
Prioritize Safety, but Don’t Skimp on Aesthetics
No matter what, you’re going to want to prioritize safety, security, and privacy. We don’t have too much to say about this part, just that the equation is pretty simple: safe and secure landscaping attracts happy tenants. Happy tenants = higher occupancy rate. Hgher occupancy rate = happy property owners. Including landscaping features like a privacy fence, tall, secure hedges, ample lighting, and properly maintained trees, roots, sidewalks, and flora are going to keep both your property owners and your tenants pretty happy. That being said, you don’t want to sacrifice aesthetics for a bulky, unattractive security system. Work with a landscaper to develop a safe design that doesn’t skimp on aesthetics.
Never Let Your Maintenance Slack
What’s the point of having a safe, updated, beautiful landscape to attract clients if you’re going to let the maintenance move to the wayside? Who cares if you have a super great fountain and meditation area if it’s constantly overgrown and the fountain doesn’t work? Who cares if you have privacy hedges if they’re wild, unkempt, and totally unattractive? What’s the point of planting flower beds if you’re not going to seasonally rotate them to help reimagine your space every season? If you’re going to spend the time and money on updating your landscape, keeping your tenants and owners happy, and implementing a sweet landscape for your property, why wouldn’t you budget time and money toward keeping it looking tidy and beautiful? Partnering with a qualified, professional company to consistently manage all of your landscaping features is going to be the primary key in keeping both your tenants and property managers happy.
Did our blog post on how to keep your tenants and property owners happy (simultaneously) bring you all the joy? We know, we know, it seemed impossible at first, but like we said, with a little preparation, communication, and scheduling, it truly can be done. Want to talk to us directly about how we can help you keep both your owners and tenants happy? We’d love to chat! Give our office a call at (727)-201-3947. Want more landscaping ideas for your commercial or residential properties? We’ve got you covered. Check out our weekly-updated blog for all the landscaping tips, tricks, and inspiration you’d ever want. Happy reading!
Michael Tomaino
