Should I get my tenant a Christmas card or gift?
Christmas is just around the corner so it’s understandable to wonder if you should share the Christmas cheer with your tenant.
You may have had a long-term relationship with your tenant and want to stay on those friendly terms. Or perhaps you’ve just had a new tenant move in and would like to leave a lasting and good impression.
Mass consumerism during this holly-jolly time of year may pressure some into thinking that you’ve got to get gifts for everyone.
According to Finder Statistics, we are gearing up for a very Merry Christmas indeed this year, with the average British adult potentially forking out £548 on Christmas gifts in 2021. That’s a £72 increase from 2020’s £476 budget, and a whopping £25.6 billion estimated to be spent this year on Christmas gifting alone.
Perhaps it’s the fact that we were locked down last season with the Christmas blues, or have new variants such as Omicron to deal with.
Whatever the case – gifting needn’t be excessive or expensive. As always there are pros and cons to everything, so we’ve broken them down for you.
Why you shouldn’t give your tenant a Christmas gift
- It takes a lot of extra time to write out those Christmas cards every year – and even more care to organise gifts. On top of worrying about your aunt Mary and second cousin Ralph, you most likely won’t want the stress of adding your tenant to that list.
- An expensive gift could be deemed inappropriate, as your tenant may feel obligated to get a gift back to you – or worse – they wouldn’t be able to afford to match your gift, therefore feeling guilty.
- If you do choose to give even a small gift, understand that you may have to keep up appearances each year. Once your tenant receives a gift, they may expect this as a regular occurrence come Christmastime and you wouldn’t want to be labelled as a Scrooge!
- Your relationship with your tenant should remain on a professional and business-like level. Becoming too much of a familiar ‘friend’ to your tenant may damage your relationship in the future because they may see you as someone they can take advantage of.
Why you should give your tenant a Christmas gift
- You can do it pretty cheaply – something small like a box of chocolates would do the trick – as it’s really more about the thought that counts. Avoid gifting alcohol as this can feel like a go-to present, but there could be religious or personal reasons why your tenant wouldn’t want it, so best to avoid it completely to be safe!
- A simple card allows you to show your appreciation, letting them know you value the care they take of your property and you wish them well for the festive season and year ahead. It’s cheap, simple, but will let your tenant know that you care.
- If you do have a difficult tenant, you may find that the so-called ‘killing them with kindness’ route is the best way to go. A small box of chocolates and a card may get you back on a positive footing if you’ve had any disagreements this year. However, this really depends on the nature of those disagreements, so this is really up to your discretion.
- It’s entirely up to you! If you love to give cards and gifts this time of year, go on ahead! If you prefer to keep it small and stress-free, don’t worry too much about it. Just make sure that if you do give a gift that it is appropriate.
Overall, we love to spread the festive cheer here at Mashroom, so we’d say there’s nothing wrong with a card to wish them all the best.
However, if you’re keen to give your tenant a gift this Christmas, we’d recommend our Contents Insurance. It’s brilliant for your tenant and our monthly rate is brilliantly competitive!
