51 Resident Appreciation Event Ideas to Retain High-Qualify Residents

In the blog post “How to Become an Award-Winning 5-Star Apartment Syndicator,” I explained how an apartment syndicator won two back-to-back Rental Owner of the Year awards by hosting frequent resident appreciation events. In this blog post, I want to expand upon this strategy by providing a list of 30 more resident appreciation event ideas.

Resident appreciation parties have massive benefits, with the foremost benefit being the fostering of an inclusive community. Hosting resident appreciation parties offer residents the chance to engage with in the community. They get to know their neighbors, as well as the management staff, forming relationships that are deeper than merely being acquittances. And as a result, residents will likely to stay longer, treat the apartment community with more respect, be more courteous to their neighbors and the staff and pay their rent on-time.

Hosting resident appreciation parties also motivates the residents to leave reviews (which is important for the reputation of the apartment community) and recommend the community to their friends and colleagues.

Overall, hosting resident appreciation parties will result in higher occupancy, less turnover, lower bad debt, better and more leads and higher quality residents, which means a higher net operating income.

They type of resident appreciation party to host depends on the resident-demographic. In other words, the type of event hosted at an A-class luxury apartment will usually differ from the event hosted at a C-class property in a working-class neighborhood. So, use common sense when brainstorming party ideas.

That being said, here is a list of 30 more resident appreciation party ideas:

Host themed parties for every holiday celebrated by your resident demographic. See below for a few ideas but be creative!

Valentine’s Day Event Ideas

1. Valentine’s Day Card Making Event: Set up a card making station in the clubhouse.
2. Speed Dating Event: For the single residents only!

Mother’s Day Event Ideas

1. Flowers for Mom: Free flower pots in the clubhouse for residents to give to their moms.
2. Mother’s Day Card Making: Set up a card making station in the clubhouse.
3. Gift Wrapping Station: Set up a gift-wrapping station in the clubhouse.

Fourth of July Event Ideas

1. BBQ: Pool party with hot dogs, burgers, chips and drinks.
2. Fireworks: Most likely firework viewing, unless you want to do your own fireworks (depending on the local laws).

Halloween Event Ideas

1. Costume Competition: Host a costume party and have everyone vote on the best costume, with the winner receiving a Halloween themed gift.
2. Pumpkin Carving Party: Host a pumpkin carving event and have everyone vote on the best Jack-o-Lantern with the winner receiving a Halloween themed gift.
3. Caramel Apple Bar: Set up a caramel apple making station in the clubhouse.
4. Trick-or-treating: Door-to-door trick-or-treating.

Christmas Event Ideas

1. Gingerbread House Competition: Host a gingerbread house making competition and have everyone vote on the best house with the winner receiving a Christmas themed gift.
2. Pictures with Santa: Have someone dress up as Santa and take pictures with the children.
3. Cookie Frosting: Set up a cookie frosting station in the clubhouse.
4. Cookies and Hot Cocoa Party: Host a party where you offer cookies and hot cocoa.
5. Ugly Sweater Party: Everyone dresses up in their ugliest sweater and offer refreshments in the clubhouse
6. Movie night: Watch It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story or your favorite Christmas movie.
7. White Elephant: Host a gift exchange party in the clubhouse.

Free Food Ideas

1. Breakfast-On-The-Go: Purchase portable breakfast foods (burritos are the best) and juice and give them to the residents while they drive through the gate on their way to work. You could also pack brown bag breakfasts or lunches for the kids, or hand out bagels or muffins instead.
2. Sip-N-Sweet Mondays/Fridays: Set up a coffee and donut station in your clubhouse.
3. Wine Tasting: set up a wine tasting station with cheeses in your clubhouse.
4. Take and Bake Pizza Parties: Set up a pizza making station in the clubhouse. Residents can come in, make a custom pizza and take it home to cook.
5. Pops(icles) by the Pool: Hand out popsicles on a hot day at the pool.
6. Snow Cones in the Shade: Hand out snow cones on a hot day at the pool.
7. Sundae Sunday: Set up an ice cream sundae making station in the clubhouse.
8. Taco Tuesday: Set up a taco making station in the clubhouse.
9. Pancakes and Pajamas: Offer pancakes on a Saturday or Sunday morning to residents who show up to the clubhouse in their pajamas.

Parties for the Children

1. Back to School party: Host a pool party for the kids on the weekend before school starts.
2. Froyo Friday: Set up a frozen yogurt station in the clubhouse.
3. Egg hunt: Host an egg hunt on Easter Sunday.
4. Back to School Bingo Bash: Winners get free school supplies.
5. Teddy bear picnic: Picnic for the kids with their favorite stuffed animal.
6. Game night: Have the kids bring their favorite games to the clubhouse for a game night.
7. Legos and Eggos: Serve waffles and offer Legos for the kids.
8. Water Balloon War: Dodgeball, but with water balloons.
9. Astronomy Night: Invite astronomers from a nearby observatory or university, asking them to bring along a telescope, and invite the kids to gaze at the night sky.
10. Arts and Crafts: Set up craft making or finger-painting stations in the clubhouse.
11. Chalk Party: Provide children with sidewalk chalk to write on the parking lot or sidewalks, have a hopscotch competition with prizes.
12. Superhero Party: kids dress up as their favorite superheroes.
13. Princess Party: kids dress up as their favorite princesses and have a small fashion show.
14. Pajama party: Kids come to the clubhouse dressed up in their pajamas with their sleeping bags. Offer popcorn and smores, and have a movie or game night.
15. Cupcake decorating: Set up a cupcake decorating station in the clubhouse.

Competitions with Prizes

1. Trivia Night: Host a trivia night in your clubhouse with prizes.
2. Game Night: Host a game night in your clubhouse with prizes.
3. Chili cook off: Host a chili-making competition. Offer prizes (and maybe even a trophy) for the annual winner.
4. Poker night: Host a Texas Hold’Em tournament.

Other Event or Party Ideas

1. Clean Out Your Closet: Host a community-wide closet cleaning event, collecting gently used clothing from residents. Enter the participants names into a raffle and give away a gift card to a clothing store.
2. Yard Sale: Host a yard sale in the parking lot by the clubhouse. Residents can sell stuff and buy stuff from other residents.
3. Pool Party: Host a pool party with a DJ.
4. Fitness classes: Host fitness classes, like Zumba, aerobics, pilates or yoga, in your fitness center or at a nearby gym. Other fitness ideas are a run club, hiking club, or bike club.
5. Nacho Average Tailgate: Set up a nacho making station in the clubhouse on gamedays.

For more event ideas, a great resource is www.apartmentlife.org.

What about you? Comment below: Have you hosted a resident appreciation event at your apartment community that isn’t on this list?