Edmonton's student housing market demands flexibility and strategic planning from landlords. Here are specific tips for you as you look to attract a diverse student population, including international and co-op students, which can ultimately lead to listing with a platform like Elev.

Diversify Lease Terms

Offer a range of lease lengths that align with the academic and co-op program cycles. Traditional semester-based students typically seek 8-month leases, whereas co-op students may need 4- or 12-month arrangements. Flexible terms ensure that regardless of a student's program, they can find suitable housing.

Understand Tenant Schedules

By staying informed about the academic and co-op schedules of local post-secondary institutions, you can anticipate when students will begin looking for rentals. This allows you to time your property listings strategically, ensuring maximum exposure on Elev at the optimal moments.

Based on this, if we rank the busiest months when students are looking for a place to live, your property's visibility and desirability will be highest in September for fall semester, then January in the second place for Winter Semester, and lastly least busy in May for Spring/Summer semester. We recommend listing your property 2 months before its available to rent.

Tailor Your Marketing

Use targeted marketing strategies to reach students when they're actively searching. This means highlighting the advantages of your property's lease flexibility, amenities included and proximity to campuses in your property description, which can be a deciding factor for students comparing options. With Elev, you can offer lease lengths of month-to-month, 4, 6, 8, and 12 months.

Optimize for International Students

Since international students more often seek 1-bedroom furnished units or individual rooms, consider listing your studio or one-bedroom apartments and if you have a unit with multiple bedrooms, consider renting it by the room. Listing these on Elev with clear, attractive descriptions of these benefits can make your properties stand out.

Facilitate Seamless Transitions

For students, especially those from abroad or in co-op programs, moving can be a stressful experience. Offer services that simplify this transition, such as furnished units, all day moving or early move in availability and promote these amenities on your Elev listing.

Encourage Longer Stays

Implement policies that incentivize longer tenancies, such as renewal discounts or guaranteed rent freezes, to encourage students to stay beyond a single term. Make sure to advertise these incentives in your listing description.

Utilize Elev's Tools

Take full advantage of Elev's platform tools to manage your properties efficiently. Our dashboard allows for seamless tracking of lease terms, maintenance requests, and communication with tenants, which can help tailor your offerings to the student market's needs.

By implementing these tips, you can cater to the unique needs of Edmonton's student renters, maintain high occupancy rates, and reduce student tenant turnover. Elev provides the perfect marketplace to connect with this demographic, streamline your rental process, and keep your properties filled year-round.