Joe Downs walks new seasonal rental and storage owners through their first fall rush. Call waiting-list tenants in August to convert them before Labor Day, update all listings and signage with new contact info, and track weekly occupancy to validate your NOI projections for future refinancing or sale.
Chapters
If you close in spring or summer, the fall move-in season arrives within your first 90 days of ownership. It's both your first revenue test and your first opportunity to demonstrate to your lender that the seasonal occupancy model you underwrote to is performing. Contact waiting list tenants in August. These are your highest intent prospective tenants. They've already expressed interest. They're actively looking for a space. And they chose your facility. A personal call from the new owner in August before the fall rush converts the waiting list into revenue with very little friction. Update all online listings and signage— current ownership name, current contact information, available space count. A prospective tenant who finds a listing with the prior owner's name and phone number and can't reach anyone has already moved on to the next facility. Labor Day weekend. In most markets, this is the highest single week, single weekend move in volume of the year. Be available, be reachable, have the facility in perfect operational condition for Labor Day. Your tenants' first experience moving in under new ownership sets the tone for the relationship. Document fall occupancy week by week. This is the data that validates your NOI model and will form the basis of the occupancy history you present when you refinance or sell.
