Housing Guide: Incentives attract new tenants
Apartment complexes pull out the stops to attract tenants.
Published Feb. 21, 2006
Along with the freedom from community advisers and no quiet-hours rules, off-campus living can involve other incentives.
From certificates to cruises, appliances to iPods, apartment complex managers are pulling out all the marketing stops to attract tenants.
Sterling University Housing, located at 3904 S. Providence Road, began offering leases in Dec. 2005, property manager Kerry Navarro said. Since then, Navarro has seen a steady increase in the number of leases signed and he said the promotions have helped.
Navarro said the complex's aimed its many promotions at attracting local college students.
"We have a prize wheel with seven slots for our leasers. We change the prizes due to inventory, but right now we have an iPod, two DVD players, a digital camera and gift certificates to restaurants such as The Heidelberg and Shakespeare's Pizza," Navarro said. "Also, every apartment comes with a 42-inch plasma television and contracts are by bed so no one gets penalized if a roommate leaves."
Campus Lodge, located at 2900 S. Old 63, also has offered promotions in the past. During the summer, management gave away a cruise trip to one leaser and in December every leaser was given the opportunity to pick a concealed gift from underneath a tree. Gifts ranged from gift certificates to appliances.
Doug Miller, apartment manager of University Place, located at 1205 University Ave., said he does not feel the need to have promotions because his business is more focused on keeping existing tenants instead of trying to lure in new ones. He said he believes the complex's location and all-inclusive price brings people to University Place.
The Dumas Apartment Complex management said she has not offered any special promotions or incentives, assistant manager Linda Dole said.
"The vintage-quality and historical appeal attract tenants to these apartments," she said.
Dole said people are also attracted to Dumas because of the location at 413 Hitt St., which is on the border of campus and downtown Columbia.