On the day rent is due every month, University of Idaho Senior Rachael Lewis walks into Hill Rental Properties” office to see familiar faces and a plate of freshly baked cookies.
“The day rent is due they have a little cookie thing on the front desk, you can walk through the front door, you can have a cookie and pay your rent,” Lewis said. “It”s so much more encouraging to pay rent on time because you get a cookie.”
Lewis, who first began renting with Hill Rental Properties in the fall of 2014, said she prefers the agency to other renters in town.
“They”re very clear about what they need, their contract isn”t like 15 pages, even though some places are,” Lewis said. “Fifteen pages is daunting to read, but also it”s like, “Why 15 pages?””
Karla Benjamin, the property manager of Hill Rentals, said the company values clear communication with tenants and within the office.
“We work really hard to get a lot of communication between our employees so we”re all on the same page,” Benjamin said. “We know about apartments moving in or moving out and just, you know, we keep track of our tenants.”
The company, which was created by Otto Hill in the “70s, began as a set of apartments in Moscow and Pullman.
Benjamin said the two branches of the rental agency split into Hill Rental Properties and Summer Hill Rentals around 2002.
Even before the split, Benjamin said Hill Rentals has worked to provide renters with positive customer service experiences.
“One of the most challenging things is making sure tenants get the very best costumer service,” Benjamin said. “When they have a work order, it”s taken care of right away. When they have a concern, it gets resolved right away – we always look for where we can improve so tenants get more for their money.”
Beyond providing good customer service, Benjamin said Hill Rentals also tries to maintain a level of flexibility, as they cater to a diverse population.
“We do rent to a very diverse population,” Benjamin said. “We have students and non-students. There”s different needs and expectations so some days we have to be pretty flexible.”
The quality of costumer service is among the reasons Lewis said she prefers Hill Rentals to other Moscow agencies she”s rented from in the past.
“I like Hill Rentals a lot because I can walk in there and I know who the people in the office are and I have a really good relationship with them,” Lewis said.
When it comes to serving students and Moscow community members, Benjamin said she and her colleagues like to follow the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated.
“Our philosophy has always been to treat our tenants like we would want to be treated if we were renting an apartment,” Benjamin said. “Everything we do from renting the apartment to maintenance, that”s our underlying motto, how we”ve organized our office.”
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Corrbond