Austin Lease Extensions Depend on Timing and Season

austin lease renewalAs we head into the Spring/Summer leasing season in Austin, and I just mailed my first batch of renewal letters, I’m already fielding inquiries from tenants who have lease-end dates that don’t coincide with their future plans.  The inevitable question is “can we have a move-out date of x instead of y?

For one tenant, planning to get married, extending the lease from a March 31 end date to a May 31 end date (two months) is not a problem. The home is owned by a long-term investor, and the new May lease end date benefits both the owner and the tenant. This is a win/win. It places the home dead center of the summer leasing season cycle.

In these win/win scenarios, I have flexibility because the adjustment benefits my client, the owner. I work for the owner and must only make decisions that are in the owner/client’s best interest. Thus, if that same tenant, in that same house, asked for the same 2 month extension for a lease that ended July 31st instead of March 31st, the answer would be “no”. Timing is everything.

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Austin Lease Renewals 2012 – Rents Are Increasing

I just mailed a batch of renewal letters for leases expiring April 30, 2012. All of them include rent increases, but most tenants will still be below market rent value even with the increase. More on that in a minute. Furthermore, many tenants will be paying a rent amount lower than the rental rate the house would have rented for 11 years ago. No, I’m not kidding. Austin rents peaked in 2001 and we’re just now starting to get above 2001 rates on some properties.

My Approach to Lease Renewals
I’ve been renewing leases in Austin for 22 years. I’ve mailed thousands of renewal letters. During that time, in dealing with tenants who are trying to decide whether to stay or go, I’ve noticed something interesting about basic human behavior related to lease renewals.

First, an increase above $50/mo. seems to trigger in many tenants in Austin a negative emotional reaction, causing the tenant to feel slighted, even if they logically understand the reason for the increase and the data supporting it. This results in some interesting phone conversations where a tenant confesses to knowing that the increase is fair, but it still makes so them so mad they might move.

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