Your PadSplit Host journey doesn’t stop once you complete the renovation and list your property. It’s essential to create good move-in experiences, as they are a vital part of a Member’s journey with PadSplit. Bad move-ins can lead to frustration that may result in an early departure – sometimes in the same week as move-in.
A positive move-in experience sets the tone for a positive PadSplit tenure for Members. When a Member feels like their PadSplit Host is communicative and responsive, it instills a sense of trust in the relationship. Here are seven ways to ensure your residents have a stress-free move-in experience.
7 Ways to Create a Smooth PadSplit Move-in Experience
Familiarize yourself with your role in the move-in process.
PadSplit, Hosts, and Members share the responsibilities needed to keep our community running smoothly. When it comes to move-ins, PadSplit Hosts have exclusive responsibility for the move-in experience, including:
- Providing accurate move-in instructions
- Ensuring Members have access to the property via lock codes or keys
- Serving as the first point of escalation
Still have questions about what PadSplit, Hosts, and Members are responsible for? This handy chart breaks down the roles and responsibilities of each party.
Update your availability calendar for move-ins.
Did you know Hosts can block off move-in availability for a home on days they might be unavailable? We encourage PadSplit Hosts to regularly check their move-in availability calendars and block days where they might be unavailable due to a vacation, busy workday, or other appointments.
You can select individual days or recurring days of the week where you are unavailable for move-ins from your Host dashboard. Keep in mind that many PadSplit Members are looking for fast housing, so if a prospective resident sees that you have limited availability, there’s a chance they may look for another property with more move-in availability. It’s also possible to change whether Members can book up to one or two weeks in advance from your Host Dashboard.
Customize your move-in instructions for your property.
Give your property a move-in test run! Rehearse your own “move-in” at your property as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Drive up to the property and think about where you’d think to park if it were your first time. How would you enter the house, and is it easy to locate your room? Try lock codes and keys, then write instructions that match your experience.
Did you know that properties that add images, maps or other attachments to their move-in instructions have significantly better move-in experiences? Our research has found that move-in ratings are 10% higher when this tool is used. Think about visuals that you can add to your move-in instructions to give a quick boost to your members’ move-in experience!
These instructions go out to Members on their move-in day via a welcome email from PadSplit. By anticipating questions or concerns as a prospective Member, you will be able to write more precise move-in instructions, making it less likely a Member will need to reach out to you with questions on move-in day.
Ensure each Member has a unique lock code.
Make sure each Member will have a way to access the property and their room when they arrive. Hosts will need to create new custom lock codes for the new Member and enter them into the PadSplit platform. The custom lock codes are automatically sent to the Members on the day of their move-in. If a Host utilizes the RemoteLock system, new codes will be auto-generated and included in the email.
Prepare the room for a new Member.
Questions from new Members on the move-in day don’t stop once they get into the property. They may have a question about their room, too. It’s crucial for someone to physically go to the property and make sure the room is ready before a move-in. Is the room clean? Are the bed and the furniture in good shape? A Host may want to double-check its readiness for the next Member, especially when the space has been vacant for more than a month. Half of the negative move-in experiences happen because a room isn’t clean or well-maintained. An on-site visit from yourself or your Property Manager ahead of time will prevent that from happening.
Be available and responsive for unexpected problems.
Not every move-in goes according to plan. We have a Host-Member communication channel open 48 hours on move-in day. If a Member sends a message, Hosts will receive a push notification from the Host app, an alert in their web dashboard, and a text message.
Texts sent by the Member are available in the mobile app and web dashboard, and Hosts can reply to Members through either source. The Host should triage any move-in issues with the Member via this method of communication.
- For a tutorial on using move-in-day communications via the mobile app, please watch this video.
- For a tutorial on using move-in day communications via the web dashboard, please watch this video.
We highly recommend PadSplit Hosts download the PadSplit Host app from the App Store (iPhone devices) or Google Play Store (Android devices) to communicate quickly and effectively with PadSplit Members.
Learn from your Members.
One of PadSplit’s core values is Intellectual Curiosity, and we know that feedback is crucial for improvement. We ask our Members to rate their move-in experience and provide their input to PadSplit Hosts to improve. Here’s how to check the feedback left by your Members in your Host dashboard.
Final Thoughts
Your first Member move-in might feel daunting, but if you follow these seven steps, you’ll quickly get the hang of creating seamless move-in experiences for your Members.
If you still have questions about move-ins, please reach out to the PadSplit Support team at (770) 3737863 for help.
Header photo by Jaye Haych on Unsplash
