Student Housing: Turning to Technology for the Turn

Student housing is unlike other types in one very important way: once a year, at the very same time, most of the residents vacate. And around two weeks later, the rooms are rented again. This “turn” is a short period in which an awful lot has to happen – the most significant being the inspection, repair, cleaning and preparation of the vacant units. These days, automation has made what has traditionally been a stressful transition so much easier that it’s a wonder there are still properties relying on paper. Creating a streamlined process If you own or manage student housing, you’re aware that the following factors and more will come into play during the turn. It’s quite obviously a situation computers are ideal for: juggling multiple time-sensitive criteria to enable a streamlined, tightly controlled process. Move-in and move-out scheduling Move-out inspections (cleaning/repair assessment) Service vendor sourcing and estimates Service vendor insurance Product vendor sourcing and estimates Product delivery and storage Job progress and completion tracking Final inspections Vendor payments Deposit deductions Deposit returns The advantages of automation start long before the turn, assuming like most properties you plan well ahead. This is the time for sourcing and selecting vendors of the products and services you’ll need during those critical weeks, and a mish-mash of documents, contact managers, Rolodex’s and sticky notes is no match for a neatly organized electronic vendor management system. Software solutions for student housing now enable vendor sourcing, estimates, insurance verification, invoice management and payments. During move-out or even pre-move-out inspections, portable devices become the heroes. Staff can use cell phones, tablets or other devices to enter cleaning and repair assessments directly into the property management system while viewing the unit. This not only eliminates duplica...