HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR SAN FRANCISCO RENTAL PROPERTY FOR TENANTS WHO WORK FROM HOME San Francisco Property Management Help

Tenants today are all about innovative living and creating the right work-life blend. 

Remote work is more popular than ever, and your San Francisco rental property needs to be attractive to tenants who work from home. When you can position your rental as a home that’s desirable for living, working, and studying, you’ll be more competitive in today’s rental market. 

Here’s how to identify, attract, and retain this new pool of San Francisco tenants. 

WHO ARE YOUR WORK-FROM-HOME TENANTS?

According to a recent report from the San Francisco Controller’s Office, Mayor’s Office, and Board of

Supervisors’ Budget Analyst, 15 percent of San Francisco workers will continue working from home through 2023. Not only are there fully remote workers in the new economy, but there are also those who follow a hybrid schedule of working both at home and in the office. These are the tenants you’re targeting when renting out a home. 

1. PROVIDE A PET-FRIENDLY SAN FRANCISCO RENTAL PROPERTY

Jump on any Zoom business call, and you’re likely to see someone’s cat making an appearance or a dog begging for attention in the background. 

Pet ownership increased during the pandemic, and professionals who work from home are more likely to have pets. You’ll want to accommodate them when you’re renting out a San Francisco property. 

There are dozens of good reasons to allow pets. You can increase the amount of money you earn in rent and you can cut down on longer vacancies. 

You’ll also attract tenants who work from home with their trusted and fuzzy assistants. 

A study conducted by Digital.com revealed that two-thirds of remote workers indicated their pets were a major reason they wanted to continue working from home.

If people aren’t willing to go back into the office because of their pets, you know they’re not going to settle for a rental home that doesn’t allow pets or makes it difficult to have pets. 

This gives you an opportunity as a landlord. Not only will you benefit by allowing pets, but you can also make your rental home and the entire building or community a little more pet friendly. Consider a pet play area if it’s possible. Provide dog waste bags near the door for tenants who are on their way out for a walk with their dogs. If you know you’re having tenants moving in with a cat, include some cat toys or treats in a welcome basket. 

These are the things that remote tenants with animals will notice and appreciate. 

2. INTRODUCE INNOVATIVE LIVING 

Your tenants who work from home are looking for ways to make their lives easier - both professionally and personally. 

Home will mean something different to your tenants who work there. They’ll want clear spaces that are dedicated to living and working. They’ll want some spaces that can accommodate both. 

Strong internet and dedicated workspace will help. A den, an office space, and even a large and open floor plan that can accommodate a desk or two will be attractive to the renters who have chosen to live and work from their San Francisco home. You might leave it up to your tenants to choose their own internet providers, but be prepared to make some recommendations on which local providers offer the best packages and the strongest speeds. 

You can also include Wi-Fi in the rent, at least for the first few months. This will get the attention of tenants who will need to start working as soon as they move in. 

Think about other technology that will make it easier for people to work from home without losing the work/life balance that they need. Smart home tech is becoming more and more popular, and remote workers looking for a new home will appreciate technology upgrades such as video doorbells, digital keys, and the ability to sync thermostats, appliances, and security devices to their phones via an app.

3. HIGHLIGHT YOUR PROPERTY’S WORK-LIFE BLEND 

You want to provide optimal working conditions but you also want to provide optimal living conditions. 

Highlight what your property can offer the work from home professional in all your marketing and during your showings, but also show them why your property can be comfortable after endless video calls and again eating lunch at their desk. 

Kitchen upgrades, for example, will be well-received. Consider stainless appliances, granite counters, and tile backsplash. Put brighter lights in workspaces but softer lights in living spaces like bedrooms. In-unit laundry will add to the convenience and durable surfaces, fixtures, and appliances will make a big difference to tenants who spend more of their time in their homes. 

4. CONSIDER TEMPORARY TENANTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

There are the San Francisco remote workers that you’re trying to attract and then there are the tenants from outside of the city who may be moving to the area for a year or more. That’s another way that remote work impacts housing markets: it brings temporary tenants. 

You might find residents who are going to be in town for three to six months. Maybe they’re not moving to San Francisco permanently, rather they’re living a somewhat nomadic lifestyle while they can, and moving from place to place. 

Consider renting your property out for less than the typical one-year lease. This isn’t something we’d recommend for every property, and there are some strict short-term rental laws in place that would need to be followed if you were thinking of vacation rentals. But, a lease that lasts for around six months can be a good way to attract a new type of tenant. Maybe they’ll even decide to stay longer. 

You’ll have some different logistics to juggle, such as whether you’d offer a furnished place for leases shorter than a year. It would take some work. But, it’s a creative way to potentially reach those remote workers who are wandering in and out of San Francisco for limited periods of time. 

5. PARKING IS AT A PREMIUM FOR TENANTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

 What’s your parking policy? 

Whether we’re talking about local remote workers or those who are showing up from outside San Francisco, they’re likely to have cars. Some of them might even have electric vehicles, which require unique charging stations. 

Are you equipped for that?

Make sure you’re offering secure, attractive parking. Off-street parking will be attractive in a rental home, especially a garage or a secure lot. Visitor parking is also a big plus. 

6. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MARKETING 

Your marketing needs to be geared towards remote workers. As we mentioned, advertising your focus on innovative living and work/life blends will help you catch the attention of your prospective tenants who put in long hours of work at home. 

Think about these tenants when you’re marketing your available rental home. 

Technology should already be driving your marketing efforts. Remote workers will obviously be using digital platforms to find their next rental home. You might have people who want to have online showings. Your pictures, videos, and digital tours will be more important than ever. 

Your listing has to stand out from all the others, and the online listings are numerous. So create something outstanding and make sure your potential remote tenants know where to find you. 

Every rental listing will include the obvious things - rental rate and location, lease term, and security deposit. Make sure your marketing also highlights why your property will be attractive to remote worker renters. 

For your San Francisco apartment, this may mean in-unit laundry or swimming pools, or extra space, but the most important thing is to make sure there are stable, fast internet speeds available from providers in your area. 

You can also discuss the benefits of your location. Maybe you have lots of nearby businesses, shopping centers, and other local amenities, like services that are likely to support remote working (think print and copy shops, and even libraries and coffee shops or even co-working spaces which are super popular these days). With proximity to the office becoming a lower priority, having amenities and services near their rental home might appeal to tenants more than commuting times.

Don’t forget outdoor space

Work from home tenants will want some fresh air from time to time. Even a small balcony can make a difference, and you should showcase any courtyards or green space in your marketing. Large windows and nice views will also matter. Let your tenants know where they can find parks and nature trails in the area. 

SAN FRANCISCO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ADVICE

We can help you attract and retain those tenants who are working from home. We’ve been leasing San Francisco rental properties since 1987 at BanCal Property Management. Let’s talk about how to make your property more marketable to this large population of residents.

To hear more about our leasing and management services, please contact us at BanCal Property Management. We also welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions for topics you want to learn about, so please share those too. Are you working from home?