NEWSLETTERS FOR YOUR TENANTS

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER for your tenants is probably the single, most effective thing you can do to extend the stay of your tenants. (That is, be-yond keeping your property in good order.) This has been recommended by hundreds of rental owners and managers.

Putting a newsletter together is not a difficult process. You only need to put it out once a month. It will require a half day's effort for each issue, and keeping your eyes open for material to use in it. Here are some ideas:

SET UP A MASTHEAD representing each ofthe apartment complexes you handle. It's easy to cut and paste the mastheads on your word pro-cessor. A masthead is the bold letters and infor-mation at the top of the newsletter. Here you see it above the two columns. (Your newsletter's name, date, publication number and underline.)

A 2 OR 3 COLUMN FORMAT divides the page nicely, keeping the information in order and making it easier for your tenants to read.

A 17 BY 11 INCH PAGE, folded in the middle, will give you a 4 page newsletter. This gives your readers a sense that the amount of informa-tion is worth their effort. Less than this may seem like patronizing your readers.

LIVE -IN-MANAGERS hand them out to the tenants. Or, they can put them on a stand for everyone to take. Try to put the stand inside the complex, so they don't get them as they are leaving. This way they'll take them home.

SHORT SENTENCES of no more than 9 or 10 words is the recommended length in journalism.Remember, write the "what, where, when, whyand how" of the article then end it.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO USE IN YOUR NEWSLETTERS

ANYTHING happening around the apartments:Repairs going to be done - Construction - Painting - Pool repairs - New barbecue - New flower beds - New parking stripes - New wash-ing machines - The list is virtually endless.If you can't tell them in advance, tell them after it is accomplished. Continually let your renters know what is being done for them.

EVENTS happening in the city they might enjoy,particularly free events: Parades - Picnics - School plays and concerts - Business openings - New museum exhibits - CarShows - Bicycle registrations - Halloween shows - Volunteer activities - Fairs - Carnivals.Keep in touch with your city government publicinformation service.

HOLIDAYS coming up, and any events associated with them.

NEWS that might affect your tenants:New driving laws - Auto registration costs - NewPostage stamp costs - New roads and freeways - Restrictions on city park use - New library hours - New individual tax laws (ask your CPA) - Recycling opportunities - Furniture sales - Also try www.sandiegoinsider.com

APARTMENT cleaning and care tips: These can be used for fillers to take up small blocks of blank space at the end of articles in your newsletter. There are several books that give hundreds of these tips:

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"How To Clean Practically Anything" Consumer Reports Books"

Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More" Rodale Press

"Formulas, Methods, Tips & Data For Home & Workshop" Harper and Roe

"Heloise" also has a book out.

Using fillers will give your newsletter a profes-sional look. (All the space will be used up with print.) Use them sparingly so they don't become a focal point, so you don't repeat them and so you don't run out.

Freebies - - - Online

These are web sites that offer a variety of things FREE. The free offers are nearly anything you can imagine, along with lots of free mail-order catalogs.

www.looksmart.com
       /coupons&freestuff
www.hotcoupons.com
www.4free.net
www.freeshop.com
www.valuepage.com
www.webtop.hypermart.net
        /1free4all
www.ads.com/freebies
www.contests.about.com
        /shopping/contests

* * * * DISCOUNT COUPONS* * * *

Hundreds of manufacturers will send you discount coupons you can hand out to your tenants (particularly at the time they pay their rent). Call the manufacturer's 800 number on the product label. You have plenty of clout with the product manufacturers and distributors. You are bringing them a large block of potential customers - your tenants !

FOOD COUPONS

Call the manufacturer's 800 number on the label. Tell them you have a large number of tenants who want their product, and you want their free or big discount coupons sent to you to give to your tenants. They'll fall all over themselves to get you the best bargains they have.

TIRES

Call your local tire distributors - the one's that have large shops and national brands. They have sales 2 or 3 times a year. With a little discussion, you can work out a good discount even on their sale prices. They will send you discount coupons you can give to your tenants. Most of them sell front-end alignments, brakes, tune-ups and a good many other things.

AUTO REPAIR

With the numbers of potential customers you have for them, local auto repair garages will be happy to talk to you about discounts for your tenants. Talk to the garage owners about setting up discounts on scheduled maintenance programs for your tenants.

FURNITURE - SMALL APPLIANCES

vacuum cleaners - CD players - cd's - kitchenappliances - TV's - computers - lamps -cable TV Talk with the store managers. Your tenants are customers they won't have to advertise for. There should be opportunities all year round for these discounts. This is one area where you will want to print a discount card each year for your tenants. This way, people who are no longer there will not be able to use them.

INCOME TAX PREPARATION

Check your Yellow Pages. Find income tax preparers in the neighborhood of your buildings.Talk to them in the fall of the year. Most of them will set up a discount for you.Having Trouble Going To Sleep ?Go to your nearest health food store. Buy a small bottle of Oil of Lavender. Put a drop on each side of your pillow before bed. It's amazing how effective the scent is at putting you to sleep.