Should You Allow Early Move-Ins for Students? Pros, Cons, and Best Practices

When students move off-campus, they have a lot to get settled while also preparing for the beginning of the school year or the semester. Many students may ask for early move-in in order to get one thing checked off the list early before getting focused on the rest. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily as easy as a yes or no question. There are both pros and cons for allowing early move-in for students, as well as best practices that you need to adhere to. Figure out if the pros outweigh the cons for you and how you can best implement early move-ins for students. 

Pros

Lets Students Get Settled

First and foremost, an early move-in day allows student tenants to get settled into their new apartment. If there is a bit of flexibility, they get the opportunity to save on movers by avoiding peak times and can keep control over their very busy schedule. The less stressed they are, the more likely students are to get back into their schedule with work and be happier in your place. Happy tenants are typically better and repeat tenants, especially if you’re willing to work with them. 

Receive Extra Prorated Rent

One of the biggest pros that entices many landlords and property managers to allow early move-ins for students is the opportunity to receive extra income with prorated rent for the extra time that they are living in the property. If it’s an extra day or two, it might not be worth it, but if students request to move in two weeks or even more in advance of the initial start date, you should request prorated rent. 

You can do this by dividing the monthly rent by the days in the month to see how much each day is worth. Use that to calculate the prorated rent that you can request. 

Cons

Puts You at Risk

One con about allowing an early move-in for students or any other tenant is that it can put you at severe risk. If your tenants are not protected with renters insurance, you are liable for any unexpected cost that comes with any damages. 

Lack of Support

In most apartments or properties, there is usually a super that can help with the move-in by padding the elevators and coordinating with the movers and other tenants so that the move-in day can go smoothly. These coordinators aren’t always available at a whim or if other people are moving in on the same day. When there isn’t support to get everything put together, an early move-in for students can be stressful, disorganized, and an overall poor experience for everyone involved. 

Best Practices

If one of your student renters is insistent on moving in early, there are some best practices to put into place to ensure that you and your renters are protected. 

Request Payment 

Before you hand over the keys to your student renters, it is normal to request all of the payments that you expect in the lease. This may include first and last month’s rent, as well as a security deposit and any other fees you require, such as pet fees. By requiring these payments, you are preventing them from taking up residency without paying you and leaving you without anything. 

If you do decide to require some kind of prorated rent for the extra time the student tenants will be occupying your property, now is the time to request that as well–all before handing over the keys. 

Confirm Coverage

It is also a good idea to confirm that your student renters have already signed up for renters insurance. If you don’t already require that any and all tenants show proof of coverage, now is the time to start. As I mentioned earlier, lack of coverage can put you at risk. If your tenant’s apartment happens to get broken into the first few days after they move in, you would be responsible for the damages. Renters insurance protects both of you, as you will be saved from any unprotected costs that could occur, such as any major damages. 

Amend the Lease

Lastly, probably the best practice of all is to amend the lease to include the updated move-in date. This way, you are protected in writing about when they are able to move in. If everything else in the lease is good, quickly update it to change only the move-in date, and both of you can sign again. 

Ultimately, it is up to you to allow early move-in for students, based on the pros, cons, and practices that you implement. Consider it carefully, based on circumstances and protections for both you and your student tenants. This is to look out for all parties involved, not just yourself. Everyone has different reasons, and you may want to take it on a case-by-case basis.