There's no single magic formula for keeping your occupiers happy. When the lease is up, their decision to stay or go could rest on location, amenities, cost, green credentials, events, opportunities to collaborate, access and public transport, among other things. It’s not easy to gauge, but there are some things you can do to help matters. The best way forward is to stay true to the values of your scheme and keep the channels of communication open.

creatIng an attractive workplace offering 

It sound obvious, but creating a sense of place and community in either a home or work setting will make people want to stick around. The concept of placemaking, creating community elements that drive people to an area, can change people’s views of a location. Make the most of what’s already there by using relevant building materials or artwork to tell the story of the building or its location and this will engage occupiers. You can also capitalize on special occassions and holidays by creating an events programme that evolves according to the requirements of your tenants.

Communication 

This is probably one of the most important elements. Tenants and landlords often don’t speak about issues they face, so when it comes to renewal, tensions can come to the surface at a time when you’d rather they don't. It’s clear that landlords and tenants consider the best way to maintaining a good relationship is communicating effectively and efficiently. So, start as you mean to go on and make initial contact after the first month of tenancy to ensure that everything is flowing smoothly or to rectify any problems that have arisen. Walk the floors when you can to chat to people off-the-cuff and make sure that your door is always kept open.   

people work with people  

Your property managers are the people who will ultimately be responsible for keeping your tenants and residents happy on a day-to-day basis. So, when deciding who your property managers will be, let them pitch to you. Try to balance courteous efficiency and a cost-effective service with a team that will have fun and interact with tenants. In the eyes of tenants, property managers are the face of the building, so ask occupiers for regular feedback to ensure things are kept on track.

This article gives a brief insight into how you can keep occupiers happy. There's a lot more detail in our ebook Effective Placemaking Communications For Your Mixed-Use Development, Volume 1: Explore, which you can download for free with just an email address.