Owning a rental property is a great way to make some extra income. Ideally you want tenants that stick around for a long time, but you will occasionally need to get your property ready for new tenants to move in. Below are a few things you should do to prepare your property.
Re-key the Locks
Make sure your rental property and tenants are secure by having the locks re-keyed. You will need to re-key all outside doors, gates, garage doors, sheds and mailboxes. That way if there are old keys floating around, they are unusable. If you have a garage door opener or security system, change the codes for those as well. A locksmith will be able to do the re-keying for you.
Clean the Carpets
House carpets go through a lot of wear and tear and when you have tenants, you can’t control how dirty they get. Professional carpet cleaning Santa Monica will do a deep clean of your carpets. Professional cleaners have access to machinery and cleaning products that will leave your carpet looking as if it was just installed. Doing this level of cleaning is something your new clients will notice and appreciate.
Test the Appliances
As a landlord, you are responsible for making sure your tenants have functioning appliances and fixtures. If there are any repairs that are needed, it is best to catch them before your new tenants move in. Check the stove to make sure all the burners work and the oven to see if the temperature is accurate. Check the pilot light on the water heater. Run a load in the washer and dryer to determine if they are functioning properly and get the dryer vents cleaned out. Doing these tests will ensure you shouldn’t need to do repairs when your tenants are in the house.
Clean Up the Yard
You may not be selling your home but curb appeal matters for rental properties as well. Make sure to clean up the house’s outside spaces. Trim and prune trees and bushes and cut the grass. Remove any garden pots and fixtures the previous client left behind. If you have an irrigation system, make sure the sprinklers are working. Power wash the patio and any walkways. You want your outside areas to be attractive to potential renters.
Preparing your rental property for new tenants takes time but you want to do it right. Making your home clean and attractive will hopefully draw tenants who will want to keep it that way and showing you are looking after it may keep them around for a long time.