Is Your Property Rent Ready?

Are you a new landlord thinking about renting out your property? We are here to help guide you through everything you need to do in order to have your property rent ready.

Thinking of renting out your property? For first time landlords, the thought of that extra passive income can be extremely enticing. However just because you have a property, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is rent ready.

Rent ready means that your property is in perfect or close to perfect conditions for new tenants to move into. The sooner your property is ready, the sooner you’ll be able to rent it out, and the less money you will lose from having a vacant property sitting around.

That extra effort put forth during turnover will help you and your tenants out significantly. The nicer your property looks at the beginning of a lease term, the greater chances that your tenants maintain that condition so that they can get as much of their security deposit back as possible.

For your convenience we have made a simple checklist with key items that should not be overlooked during the turnover process.

Cleanliness

Regardless of whether your previous tenants did a decent job of cleaning after themselves or not, you should always make sure your property is professionally cleaned before a new lease begins. If you start every lease with a professionally cleaned property and the tenants don’t leave it at the same standard after vacating, you can always use the security deposit to pay for the cleaning costs.

Pay special attention to bathrooms, carpets, windows, and walls. It is typically best to hire a professional cleaning service.

Check

When the property is empty during tenant turnover, make sure to check out key features and their functionality.

Windows – Make sure the windows open smoothly and all the tracks are clean. Replace all broken screens and check that locks work properly. Do the same for any sliding glass doors.
Appliances – When you provide appliances, you cannot be too sure of how well your tenants will take care of them. If you make sure your appliances work properly, you will benefit from it in the long run. Always go the extra step of inspecting and servicing appliances in order to extend their life.
Safety – State laws require landlords to provide safe and livable housing, so always make sure to inspect the structure and overall quality of the home.

Replace

Locks – It is always recommended to replace locks in between tenants. You never know if your previous tenants have copies of the key still with them, so for the safety and peace of mind of your new tenants, it is always best to replace locks so that they feel as secure as possible.
Air filters – Replacing air filters is often overlooked and is highly recommended for your HVAC system to keep functioning properly.
Batteries – Start off each new lease with brand new batteries in the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. This will help ensure you meet proper safety regulations for all your properties.

Test

During turnover, when doing a walk through of the property, make sure to flip and test every light switch and outlet to ensure that the electrical system is working correctly and that no lightbulbs need to be replaced. Believe it or not, small things like burned-out lightbulbs can sometimes have potential tenants lose interest.

Water faucets should also be tested to ensure they work properly with adequate water pressure and temperature, as well as proper drainage. Always check underneath the sinks to make sure there are no drips or moisture present.

Touch Up

The turnover process is a fantastic time to repaint the property or replace carpets if the walls and flooring have outlived normal wear and tear. Help the exterior of the house look as fresh and clean as possible by landscaping or reseeding the lawn and trimming bushes.

We know this can be a lot to take in, especially for first time landlords or landlords who own multiple rental units. Luckily for you, we here at Mission Property Management help take care of all these headaches during the tenant turnover process.