IS YOUR PROPERTY RENT READY?

A fresh start to a new lease means getting your property rent ready and sparkling for your next tenant. Rent ready means your rental property is in perfect condition for new tenants to move in.  The sooner your property is rent ready, the sooner you can start collecting rent, and the less money you will lose from vacancy.

Once a lease ends and your tenants move out, you need to move quickly in order to get the property rent ready for the next renters who plan to move in. Follow this simple checklist to make sure you don’t miss important items that can get overlooked when you want to get the property rented in a timely manner.

A little extra effort during turnover can set you and your tenants up for success. The cleaner and nicer your property is at the beginning of a lease term, the better chance you have at your new tenants maintaining the condition – that they received it in to insure they get their security deposit back at the end of their lease.

This rent ready checklist goes over essential items you want to check, clean, replace, and test once your old tenants have moved out and before a new lease starts.

Clean-

Even if your past tenants did an okay job cleaning, you will need to make sure your property is at a professional level of cleanliness before a new lease starts. If you start every lease with a professionally cleaned property and your tenants do not get the property up to the same standard upon vacating, you can use the security deposit to pay for the cleaning cost.

While the whole house should be clean, make sure to pay special attention to carpets, windows, walls, kitchen cabinets/appliances and bathrooms.  If your old tenants do not do a sufficient job cleaning, hire a professional cleaning company prior to the new lease term.

Check-

During tenant turnover, take advantage of the empty property to check out important features and make sure they are functioning properly.

• Widows – Make sure windows open smoothly and the tracks are clean. Replace any broken screens and blinds and ensure locks work properly. Same goes for any sliding glass doors.
• Appliances –  When providing appliances for tenants use, you have no control over how they use the fixtures in the home.  No matter how much you ask them to clean out the lint trap of the dryer or change air filters, they might “forget”.  Landlords will benefit from making sure appliances are working properly and efficiently.  Spend a little extra time inspecting and servicing major appliances to extend the life of these big ticket items like HVAC systems, sump pumps, refrigerators, stoves, washer and dryers, etc.
• Safety Features – Protect your tenants and your investment by double checking the safety features at your property. Perform an interior and exterior inspection of entrances, railings, walkways, structures and appliances. Not only is it a good idea to provide a safe home for your tenants, but state laws require landlords to provide a safe and liveable home for renters.

Replace-

• Locks – Not all landlords find the need to replace locks between tenants, but a new lock will help your renters feel safest. You never know how many times your past tenants made copies of keys, so getting them replaced will ensure a secure home for your tenants – just make sure to keep a copy for yourself.
• Air filters- Get your renters in the habit of replacing air filters to keep your HVAC system functioning properly after approving them for the property. Sending reminder Emails or Text have helped our tenants keep up on changing them efficiently throughout the year. Same goes go Furnace Filters.
• Batteries –  Starting a new lease with fresh batteries for the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms will help you ensure you are meeting proper safety regulations for your properties.  It is a good idea to invest in high quality batteries that last a long time to keep this a low maintenance task.

Test-

During turnover, do a walk through of the property and flip every light switch and test the outlets to make sure the electrical system is working properly and that no bulbs need replacing.  A burned out light-bulb can kill interest quickly if you are still doing showings and trying to rent out the unit.

Water Faucets – Run all the faucets to ensure they operate properly. You are looking for proper drainage as well as adequate water pressure and temperature. Look under the sinks to ensure there is no moisture or drips.

Disposals – Check the plumbing and make sure the disposal is working properly with no leaks or concerns.

Freshen Up-

Turnover is a great time to repaint the unit or replace the carpet if the walls or flooring have outlived normal wear and tear.   Give the exterior landscape a fresh new look by reseeding the lawn and trimming the bushes if your last tenants didn’t keep up with maintenance. Turn over vacancy can be a stressful time for homeowners – however not every turn over needs to be stressful. It can be a good opportunity to freshen up the property to keep it well maintained as a rental property before a new family moves in.

Taking the time to check out these issues in your rental property in between tenants is the best way to get ahead of more major repairs and set your unit up for showings. Even the pickiest applicants won’t find anything to complain about and you’ll have a lot less to maintain throughout the next year when it comes to maintenance.

We have created a Rent Ready Checklist streamline turnover list for you to follow to help make the process as stress free as possible to keep the process smooth and start your new lease as soon as possible.

1. Clean
   • Carpets
   • Windows
   • Walls
   • Bathroom
   • Kitchen
2. Check
   • Windows
   • Appliances
   • Safety Features
3. Replace
   • Locks
   • Air Filters
   • Furnace Filters
   • Batteries
4. Test
   • Electrical Outlets
   • Water Faucets
   • All Plumbing
5. Freshen Up
   • Paint
   • Carpets/Flooring
   • Landscape

We hope you found this article above helpful as you’re getting your home Rent Ready. At Red Heart PM we put our hearts and souls into the property as we are getting the home Market Ready for upcoming showings. The turn over process does not have to be stressful, there are good things that come from vacancies and new tenant replacements. If you or someone you know is getting ready to rent their home for rent, we would love to help with the process. You won’t go wrong with the experts at Red Heart Property Management!