As a landlord, there are some things that you have to stay on top of to ensure happy tenants as well as a well-maintained property. From making sure that your home stays beautiful for years to come to helping to make your space a place that your tenants love to call home, there are many reasons to stay on top of property maintenance. Here are a few things to stay on top of as a landlord:
Choose reliable tenants
This first point isn’t as much about what you should do with property maintenance as it is about how to avoid serious issues with your home that would require more than just simple maintenance. You want to be careful with who you allow to rent your home.
The last thing you want is to have a home that is destroyed for the next tenant, or worse yet, requires serious remodeling to get it back to the quality property that you started out with. Take time with tenant screening reports so that you can be confident that you’re allowing reliable people into your home.
Stay on top of the plumbing
While your tenants may be responsible for plumbing issues they cause, like a clogged toilet, for more in-depth plumbing issues, it’s up to you to take care of your property and avoid serious issues with your plumbing and sewage system down the road. The last thing you need is some serious work done on your home due to neglected issues with pipes, leaks, and other problems. When you hear of a problem, get it fixed as soon as possible.
Install smoke and CO2 alarms
As a responsible landlord, it’s up to you to make sure that your home has the proper alert systems for your tenants to live comfortably and with peace of mind that they won’t be in danger due to carbon monoxide poisoning or a fire breaking out.
With the right kinds of alarms, you and your tenants can rest assured that they won’t be in danger when it’s time to rest. Depending on the state that you live in, it may be your responsibility to install these kinds of things, and while in other states, it may not be your legal responsibility, it’s still a good idea to do so to ensure the safety of your tenants.
Avoid pest infestation
In some areas, depending on the climate, your home may attract pesty creatures looking to be cooled off or seeking to be warmed up. If you have cracks in your doors or windows, these seemingly minor spaces may be the perfect spot for creepy crawlers to enter your abode. Do what you can to avoid these kinds of issues by making sure that gaps in various areas of your home are all sealed up so that you can confidently rent out your home, knowing that your tenants won’t have to deal with unwelcome guests.
HVAC systems
The last thing that you’d want to happen to tenants that you want to stay in your home is to have them suffer through the summer or winter without AC or heating. Discomfort is by no means inviting when it comes to the temperature in one’s home, and letting your HVAC system break down due to negligence is one way to lose great tenants.
Plus, it’s simply the right thing to do when it comes to places where the heat can reach triple digits or in areas where the temperature drops below freezing on a regular basis. Keep your home maintained completely by including your HVAC system in property maintenance protocols.
In Conclusion
If you want to be confident that you’re taking care of your property and your tenants, think about the topics mentioned above. If you’re too busy to handle it all on your own, consider hiring a property manager who can help you out. It’s worth investing in a well-maintained property, both for your home’s value and to appeal to reliable tenants.
