How to retain more tenants: 5 findings from Buildium’s Renters’ Report to act on

Keeping good tenants starts well before a lease renewal lands in their inbox. By the time a renter decides to move, property managers may have already missed several chances to address the maintenance, communication, or value concerns shaping that decision.

Buildium’s Renters’ Report surveyed 1,500 U.S. renters to understand what influences whether they stay or leave. The findings point to five areas property managers can act on, from maintenance follow-through and response times to renewal timing and the right balance of digital convenience and human support.

In this article, we’ll break down those findings and turn them into practical tenant retention strategies you can use across your portfolio.

What We’ll Cover:

• Why more renters are planning to move, and when to start renewal outreach
• The maintenance and communication habits that drive renewals
• How to show value through service when renters feel financial pressure
• Where to balance online convenience with access to a real person

Finding 1: More Renters Plan to Move, so Start Retention Earlier

More renters are considering leaving their current rental. In Buildium’s Renters’ Report, a survey of 1,500 U.S. renters, 28% said they plan to move within the coming year, and fewer renters describe themselves as undecided. That combination shrinks the window you have to change someone’s mind, so retention has to start well before a lease-end notice goes out.

Some reasons for moving, such as location, are outside your control. Others are not. Value is another major factor, and renters judge value based on more than rent alone. Maintenance, responsiveness, communication, and the overall resident experience all shape whether staying feels worthwhile.

The practical shift is from reacting to renewals to planning for them. A few tenant retention strategies can help you get ahead of the decision:

• Watch for early warning signs, such as aging maintenance requests, slow responses, or comments about cost.
• Start renewal outreach 90 to 120 days before the lease ends, while there is still time to fix problems.
• Keep resident history and requests in one place so you can see risk across your portfolio at a glance.

Reporting helps here. When you can track turnover, open maintenance, and response times by property, you spot at-risk renewals early enough to act. That visibility is the difference between saving a tenancy and backfilling a vacancy.

Finding 2: Renters Want Maintenance Issues Resolved Quickly

Maintenance has a direct effect on whether renters want to stay. In Buildium’s Renters’ Report, renters who were satisfied with maintenance were 57% more likely to renew.

The repair itself is only part of the experience. Renters also notice how quickly your team responds, whether they know what happens next, and how well you follow up once the work is complete. In fact, better follow-through was the most common change renters said would improve their experience. That makes maintenance communication just as important as maintenance completion.

A few practices can make the process more consistent:

• Let residents submit requests online and include photos or other details.
• Confirm receipt right away so they know the issue is in your system.
• Share status updates when a request is assigned, scheduled, or completed.
• Track response times, completion times, and open work orders by property to catch delays early.

This is where Buildium’s maintenance request tracking helps. Residents submit and follow their requests in one portal, which cuts down on repeat calls and gives them faster resolution they can see. For teams that field calls after hours, a maintenance contact center can answer around the clock so urgent issues do not wait until morning.

Finding 3: Renters Expect Faster, More Consistent Communication

Renters notice how long it takes to get a response. In Buildium’s Renters’ Report, 84% said they expect to hear back within 24 hours, and most prefer a same-day reply.

Speed matters, but consistency matters just as much. A fast response one week does not make up for a message that gets buried the next. Renters want to know where to reach you and what kind of response they can expect.

That starts with a few basic operating standards:

• Keep all resident messages in one place so nothing gets lost across email, text, and voicemail.
• Set a response-time standard your whole team follows, and hold to it.
• Use automated confirmations so residents know their message reached you, even after hours.
• Get renters into the resident portal early so they have one reliable way to reach you.

Buildium’s Resident Center pulls messages, payments, and requests into a single portal. Residents get a quick acknowledgment and a clear record of what they asked for, which builds the trust that makes renewal conversations easier.

Finding 4: Renters Judge Value on More Than Price

Renters are paying closer attention to value as financial pressure increases. In Buildium’s Renters’ Report, 66% of renters who were undecided about staying said they would renew if their rent stayed the same. Others pointed to better maintenance and faster responses as reasons they might stay.

You may not always be able to hold rent flat. You can control how clearly you communicate changes and how consistently your team delivers service.

That means value should show up throughout the resident experience:

• Communicate any changes to rent or fees early, and explain what is behind them.
• Compare your pricing and amenities against nearby listings so you know where you stand.
• Offer useful extras, such as flexible payment options, rent reporting to credit bureaus, or renters insurance through the resident portal.
• Keep service quality steady from one month to the next, since inconsistency is what renters remember.

The goal is not to offset every price increase with an added perk. It is to make the overall experience feel dependable and worth the cost. That distinction matters when residents are deciding whether renewing is easier and more valuable than starting over somewhere else.

Because rules around fees and disclosures vary by location, it is a good idea to check with a qualified professional if you are unsure what applies in your area.

Finding 5: Renters Want Digital Convenience and Human Support

Renters want digital tools for routine tasks, but they still expect access to a real person when an issue is urgent or complicated. In Buildium’s Renters’ Report, 90% of renters said they are open to handling rental processes online.

For most residents, the highest-value digital tasks are also the most frequent ones: paying rent, sending messages, and tracking maintenance requests. Payment preferences vary, so flexibility matters more than pushing everyone toward a single method.

The best setup gives renters a clear path for both self-service and support:

• Make everyday tasks easy to complete through the resident portal.
• Offer multiple payment methods so residents can choose what works for them.
• Use automated updates for routine confirmations and status changes.
• Make it clear how residents can reach a person when an issue needs judgment or immediate attention.

That division keeps routine work from tying up your team while preserving the human support residents still expect.

Buildium’s Resident Center and online payments give residents one place to handle common tasks, including payments, messages, and maintenance requests. For teams that use additional systems, Buildium’s Open API and Marketplace can connect other tools into the broader workflow.

Turn These Findings into a Tenant Retention Plan

Tenant retention is rarely the result of one big change. It comes from how consistently your team handles the everyday moments renters remember: a maintenance request, a delayed reply, a rent increase, or a renewal conversation.

The findings from Buildium’s Renters’ Report point to a few clear priorities:

• Start renewal outreach 90 to 120 days before lease expiration.
• Treat maintenance response and follow-through as part of your retention strategy.
• Set clear communication standards across your team.
• Explain rent and fee changes early and with context.
• Make routine tasks easy to handle online while keeping human support accessible.

The next step is turning those priorities into repeatable workflows your team can follow across every property.

Buildium brings maintenance, resident communication, payments, and reporting into one property management platform, giving your team a clearer view of the resident experience from day to day.

You can explore the platform with a 14-day free trial or sign up for a live, guided demo to see how it could fit into your current workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tenant Retention

How Long Does the Average Tenant Stay in a Rental?

Average tenancy length varies by market, property type, and price point, so there is no single number that fits every portfolio. A more useful measure is your own renewal rate over time, which tells you whether your retention efforts are working.

What Makes Tenants Want to Renew Their Lease?

Renters renew when maintenance is handled well, communication is fast, and they feel they are getting fair value for the rent. Buildium’s Renters’ Report shows satisfaction with maintenance and communication both track closely with renewals.

What Is a Good Tenant Retention Rate?

A good rate is one that improves against your own baseline and holds steady or climbs from one year to the next. Compare yourself to your past performance and local market conditions rather than a universal benchmark.

When Should Property Managers Start Renewal Outreach?

Begin 90 to 120 days before the lease ends. Starting early gives you time to address maintenance issues or concerns while the renter is still deciding.

How Do You Reduce Tenant Turnover?

Focus on the drivers renters care about most. Respond quickly, follow through on maintenance, communicate changes clearly, and make everyday tasks easy through a resident portal. Read more on Leasing