The fact is that maintaining your rental property is quite different from a family home. So, don’t mistake assuming that either should be handled in the same terms of maintenance. Your rental property requires special attention, dedications, and care, for it to stay successful.
A neat and clean rental property not only looks good but also feels like a place that a tenant can call home. Which is why we at Pro X Property have put together this guide, so if you want to learn how to start the maintenance process for your rental, then here are some tips and guidelines that will ensure your property is always rent ready.
Evaluate Your Property
You will want to start the process by examining where you need to start. A successful landlord understands that the visual aspect of a rental property has a significant impact on current and potential tenants.
You will need to check the interior and exterior qualities of your property. This will save you money as you will be able to unravel unseen repairs and replacements before it becomes worse. From our experience in the rental property market, identifying defects early saves on replacement costs and increases your revenue in the long-term as well as making sure your advertisements have the most chance of success.
Inspect the Exterior
The first place to start on your evaluation journey, is the exterior of your property. As this is the first thing your prospective tenants will see, you want to make sure you wow them.
Ensure the Walls and Roofs are Secure
It’s important that you start with the walls and the roof as they create a major impression of your house looks from the outside. The structure and the aesthetic of the walls complemented by the roof generally make up your property’s first impression.
Check to see if the walls are sound or if the roof has some debris on it. Also, check the exterior painting of the walls to see whether or not it matches what you are looking for. You want to eliminate anything that will create a form of a negative association with your property and having damaged walls or a cluttered roof will do that.
Make sure All Windows are Functional and Safe
Make sure that your windows are intact and that they all work. Nobody likes staying in a home with broken windows that are let in the cold. This will save you from complaints and generally improve your landlord-tenant relationship.
Landscape the Garden
The way your landscape complements and fits with your rental property should be aesthetically pleasing. Ensure that any object or item that you introduce to your landscape design will not endanger your tenants or force them to spend too long maintaining it. So its always best to plant low-maintenance flora.
Polish the Interior
The interior of the property is just as important as the exterior when it comes to complying with habitability laws and keeping your property valuable. So, when you’re maintaining your property make sure to pay proper attention to:
Clean the Living Spaces
Ensure that these basic rooms are well lit, properly maintained and that they are no trash or other forms of garbage laying around. Make sure that each room is clear and clean as much as possible – usually its best to hire a professional.
Then ensure that each piece of equipment within these rooms is properly working and that there are zero to no issues.
Repair the Heating and Cooling Systems
Check that your air conditioning systems are working properly. Also, check the filters of the systems so that it doesn’t clog or it doesn’t malfunction when needed.
Follow Local and Federal Law
While keeping your property marketable and functional is incredibly important to your investment. Keeping it habitable from a legal perspective is critical. Here are some things to be aware of:
Don’t Interfere with Lead Paint
For structures built before 1978, property owners can demand that their tenants contact them if they want to do anything with the lead paint in the property. This can mean anything from they want to change the paint color to wanting to drill the wall and hang their television.
Be Respectful
The tenants should always maintain the cleanliness of the interior and also of the appliances. These actions should be rewarded by the property owner so that they can be repeated in the long term and keep other tenants happy. This respect goes both ways though, make sure to always communicate openly and respectfully with your tenant and never violate social laws such as the Fair Housing Act
Avoid Safety Hazards
This means that tenants do not interfere with fire exits and fire extinguishers. Also, that they do not remove batteries from smoke alarms or tamper with carbon monoxide detectors.
This is something you want to ensure you keep responsibility of as any failures may lead to legal action against the property owner.
Hire a Property Manager
Being a landlord is a full time job that requires a variety of skills from digital marketing and lease creation to property maintenance and financial management. As well as many soft skills like communication and sales. So, not all property owners want to be a landlord in which case, they often look to hire a property manager.
A property manager will do everything forms of maintenance, advertising, keep your tenant happy and rent management. You just need to find the right company and you are ready to go.
Bottom Line
Tenants have the right to enjoy a safe and habitable rental space. Remember, it’s your duty to make sure that these services are provided with great care and quality. As you might see, there are always boundaries and obstacles that are in your way. Some of them can be easily sorted out easily but some might require the advice and expertise of a reputable service provider in the area.
That’s why you should turn to Pro X Property Management. Here, everything is customized to what your investment goals are and the unique traits that your property is ready to offer.
