Part of managing a rental unit is dealing with tenant turnover. Sometimes your renters won’t renew their leases, while some are only meant to stay temporarily and will move back to their permanent address. When this happens, you must be prepared to get your unit rent-ready, with the right price, for future property showings with potential tenants.
At Nelson Property Management, we believe the best way to land great renters, is to make sure your property is in its best condition. You can start by acting on the following points:
Market Your Property Effectively
Empty rental units tend to cost a lot of time, effort, and maintenance fees. To minimize these fees, you should immediately start marketing your rental vacancy wherever you can. Spread the word to your network, post on social media platforms, and respond to inquiries and take time to schedule property showings.
Considering that attractive photos increase interest, it’s vital to create great images that highlight the best features of your rental. You should also create informative headlines and engaging property descriptions that appeal to plenty of prospective renters, when building your rental ads.
Repair or Replace Faulty Items
Having a functional rental unit is the best way to make your tenants’ lives convenient. This requires you to provide furnishings and appliances that are in great working order. But the advantage of having an empty property is you can take your time in assessing and replacing any damaged appliances.
If you find damages, you can contact vendors and have them immediately repaired. If the items are beyond repair or have reached their life expectancy through wear and tear, then you should replace them.
- Arrange to have malfunctioning appliances and broken furnishings repaired.
- Check the life expectancy of the items around your rental to determine when it will be replaced.
- Assess if lightbulbs need to be changed.
- Double check the smoke detectors and other fire alarms.
- Have broken doorknobs and windows fixed.
- Check if your carpets and window blinds require replacement.
Inspect the Property
When your tenants decide to move out, you should take this opportunity to go over your pre-move-in documents to find out if there are new property damages. Compare if there are changes to your property before the tenant moved in and after the tenant has moved out.
If there are any damages, then it’s important to create a list with the estimated repair charges. This makes it easy for the tenant to comprehend the deductions that are going to be made on the security deposit.
Review each item on the checklist and note any specific repairs that need to be made. A copy of this list should be issued to the tenant so you must make sure to have receipt copies of the repair services done.
Hire Professional Cleaners
When a tenant leaves your property, it is customary for them to leave it in the same state they found it in, when it comes to cleanliness. But there are great benefits that come with using the services of professional cleaners are their cleaning skills.
Their use of high-quality cleaning tools and access to top cleaning products ensures that your rental will be smelling good and even hard to reach areas are spotless.
Additionally, in that case that your renters have left and your property is in a less than pristine condition, you can charge any cleaning fees to them.
Replace the Locks
To protect your new renters from burglars, it’s important to replace the keys and install new locks once a new occupant arrives in your rental property. To save time and effort, you can also consider using electronic locks. This way, you only have to reset for new passwords once a tenant moves out of the rental home.
Renovate the Property
One of the best ways to attract new renters is to add more value to your unit through renovations. This could even lead to you collecting a higher rent. Having a vacant rental is one of the best times to conduct improvements since you don’t have to schedule workarounds and seek approval from the tenants.
Recommendations for property renovations:
- Repainting walls
- Improving the curb appeal through proper landscaping
- Creating more storage spaces
- Tearing down walls to enlarge the space
- Adding soundproof walls
- Designing a parking area
Remove Any Mold
Mold can be a particular concern to new tenants since as mold can have bad effect on your tenant’s health. If you have this issue then it’s best to resolve it with professional mold remediation. This sort of commitment to your property’s cleanliness will help your tenants decide to stay for the long term.
Typically, excess moisture is the source of mold and this can lead to an unhealthy environment. Check regularly to ensure you have a mold-free rental. Be more vigilant in areas where water use is regular such as in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry areas.
Address Any Pest Infestation
Included in the list of common tenant complaints, pest infestation can be frustrating to renters. As a landlord, you need to resolve this since it doesn’t feel comfortable to stay in a rental home populated with roaches, rodents, and bed bugs. This encourages renters to leave.
Implement the following practices to ensure your rental is habitable:
- Issue proper trash bins
- Clean routinely
- Arrange regular extermination service to reduce pest infestation
Bottom Line
To attract the best renters, focus on adding value to your property and keeping it clean and free from mold and pest infestation. Make sure to prioritize safety at all times. A well-maintained rental home creates an expectation that the renters will also treat the rental the same way.
For property owners who have little time to spare in preparing their units, you can always hire a trusted property manager. Get in touch with Nelson Property Management today and we can help you with essential property solutions, including high-quality property management services!
