Tenant Welcome Letter is a letter to formally welcome a new tenant before their lease begins. This letter provides information to help the tenant transition to their new home. Typically this will include resources, contact information, important rules and responsibilities.
Why Write a Tenant Welcome Letter?
Sending this letter helps make sure the relationship with your tenant gets off to a good start.
- Establish a Positive Relationship. Making a tenant feel welcomed at the beginning of their lease improves the odds that potential disputes down the line are handled more amicably.
- Re-clarify Important Rules. Re-stating important rules from the lease is a helpful way to make sure they’re understood and aren’t knowingly (or unknowingly) violated.
- Answer Common Questions. Thinking through common questions and answering them before they’re even asked saves everyone time and headache during the move-in process.
What to Include in a Tenant Welcome Letter
This letter may contain a variety of information depending on your rental unit and policies. When writing it, think about the items that would be important to you if you were a new tenant at your property.
General Structure and Purpose
The Tenant Welcome Letter should be friendly and provide the tenant with any information necessary to help the tenant and make sure they have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. Avoid writing a long letter and simply focus on the most important information. The following three topics should be addressed in every Tenant Welcome Letter:
- A “How to” guide of all things a tenant may need to do at the beginning of their tenancy.
- Important rules and requirements.
- Move-in instructions, and information on the initial inspection.
The general structure of the letter is as follows:
- Introduction. This section should welcome the tenant to the property and explain to them the purpose of the letter.
- Body paragraphs. This section should provide specific information about the rental property’s rules and instructions as well as any information that will be helpful for the tenant as they begin their lease.
- Conclusion. This section should provide a warm closing and offer the tenant the opportunity to reach out to you if they have any additional questions or concerns.
Specific Items to Include in a Tenant Welcome Letter
Landlords should include the following specific information:
- Date.
- The tenant’s contact information.
- The tenant’s name or a generic greeting.
- Details about the tenant’s move-in day.
- Where and when to pick up the rental unit keys.
- Information on the Move In Inspection along with a Move In Checklist.
- How to set up their utilities.
- How to make rent and utility payments. This can include the mode of payment, due dates, and late payment fees.
- How to report maintenance issues.
- Where to dispose of trash and recycling and the trash/recycling pick-up day.
- Laundry room information, if applicable.
- Parking and towing information for both tenants and guests.
- A reminder about renter’s insurance, if required.
- Any other important rules and regulations you want to highlight.
- Neighborhood guidance and helpful information (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, and public transportation).
- Floor plan and dimensions for each room.
- Invitation for the tenant to contact you.
- Landlord Signature.
- Landlord’s contact information
Much of this information is going to be included in the lease agreement. You do not want this letter to look like a copy of the lease agreement so use discretion as to which of these items you believe are important to your tenants.
What not to Include in a Tenant Welcome Letter
There are certain things you should not provide in a Tenant Welcome Letter. Avoid including any of the below information:
- Sensitive Information. Any sensitive information such as a lockbox combination for them to retrieve their key.
- Negative Topics. It’s okay to include information on rent payments and late fees but avoid unnecessarily negative topics such as eviction notices or withholding a security deposit. This information is better left in the lease agreement.
- Technical Information. Similar to the point on negative topics, this letter is not the place to discuss any detailed or complicated aspects of the lease. For instance, this letter should not contain a discussion on tenant subletting.
Tips for Writing a Tenant Welcome Letter
Besides the specific content above, here are some tips to help write an effective letter:
- Be professional. Just because this is a friendly letter, does not mean it shouldn’t be professional. While you likely have met the tenant already, this letter is a chance to show yourself as a professional and competent landlord.
- Be friendly. While this is a business relationship, you want your tenant to see you as a friendly and personable individual. While there is important information you want to convey, you can still make sure the letter has an overall positive tone.
- Avoid typos. Grammar and typing mistakes may distract the tenant from the important information you are providing to them.
- Avoid unnecessary information. Only include what is relevant to the tenant and avoid unimportant information. Including too much information may result in the tenant skipping over or missing essential information.
When to Send a Tenant Welcome Letter
The best time to send a Tenant Welcome Letter is some time after the tenant has signed the lease but before they have been given the keys to the rental unit. A good time frame is approximately 1-2 weeks before the tenant’s scheduled move in date. This will give them enough time to get acquainted with their new home and neighborhood before their lease begins.
That being said, the timing is flexible. If you have a future tenant that is asking several questions, it may be a good idea to send them their letter a little earlier.
Sending a Tenant Welcome Letter
Unlike more formal letters, the best way to send a Tenant Welcome Letter is by email. The reason is that an email is the quickest and easiest way to get this information to your tenant. In addition, when using email, you can include helpful links for the tenant such as your online rent payment portal or local utility companies.
It’s also good practice to include a secondary method of providing the letter. This could include mailing it to their current address or leaving a copy of the letter in an obvious place in the new rental unit such as the kitchen counter.
What’s Next?
After sending the Tenant Welcome Letter you should schedule a time to inspect the rental unit with the tenant. You should fill out a Move In Checklist to document the condition of the property before the tenant moves in. For a template and more information on the importance of a Move In Checklist click here.
After your tenant moves in, remember to maintain a good line of communication with them. For additional information on the laws that govern the rights and duties of landlords, click here.
