One Word….. · Multifamily Strategy Community

One Word…..

25 years in multifamily, and I am tired of one word.

Stop calling the people living in our communities "tenants."

A tenant leases office space, a retail storefront, a warehouse. That is a commercial relationship with commercial language.

A resident lives somewhere. They raise their kids there. They come home after a long day and lock the door behind them.

These words are not interchangeable.

I've watched how language moves through an entire operation. When a property team says "tenants," the mindset drifts toward transactions. The maintenance call becomes a nuisance, the renewal becomes a negotiation, and the person on the other side of the door becomes a unit number.

When a team says "residents," the mindset shifts toward service and accountability.

In workforce and affordable housing, the people we serve already navigate enough friction. They deserve language that reflects the fact that our properties are their homes.

That starts with one word. Resident.

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One Word…..