Do you recommend that your resident have tools on hand?  Successful property managers teach their residents how to live in their apartments.  For many, they've not rented before or maybe it's been a while, but either way they haven't lived in your property yet.  Setting up expectations for what they should need, what is going to happen and what the "rules" are will make the relationship with your resident much smoother.  Many times people move into our communities and don't have a single tool to their name or even what they are called or how to use them. This would be a great blog post or info sheet on your Resident Portal to help set your residents up for success.  If you offer handyman services, you can tie this list into those services to let your residents know the extras they get just by living at your community!

Recommended Resident Tool Kit:

Phillips Head and Standard Screw Drivers There are two basic types of screwdrivers, with two different tips.  The one with a tip like a line is a Standard, and the tip that looks like an "x" is a Phillips.  You will want various sizes of these on hand, from the tiny ones that you might use to open a watch or tighten glasses screws, to one big enough to tighten the screws on the knobs on your dresser.

A Hammer You'll use it for hanging pictures and putting together furniture you may have purchased.  You will want to have picture hooks/hangers along with your hammer.  Make sure your community allows you to put nails/hangers in the wall. 

A Level You've got your hammer and picture hangers, and now you want to hang a few pictures in a line or design.  A level will help you make sure they are all straight.  You can also use it to hang shelves straight in your closet or bathroom, so that your shampoo doesn't tip over. 

Allen Wrench Usually one of these come with furniture requiring assembly.  It looks like an "L", and has a hexagonal tip.  I know you tossed the ones that came with your furniture (unless you are super organized and taped it to the bottom), so having a set will allow you to tighten the bookcase up after you move it across the room and knock it askew.

A Measuring Tape It's not like you are going to measure a 2x4 and cut it with your table saw, but a measuring tape can help you determine if your couch will fit in the alcove, or if the book-case fits beside the door.  It's just a handy tool to have before you start moving furniture around.  

A Plunger You can always call maintenance for a toilet back up, but if it isn't the only bathroom in your apartment, then it is not considered an emergency, so they might not come out right away.   And who wants to wait to have that situation taken care of?  You can take care of it really easily most of the time if you have a plunger on hand.  You can also plunge sinks and tubs when they back up, although there are two different shaped plungers- so make sure you have the proper tool for your drain.

What tools would you add to the Resident Tool Kit?  Do you give your residents plungers? Do you provide handyman services for your residents?  What do you think about providing this information to residents? Let me know in the comments below.