Tips for Rental Property Maintenance
Index Of The Blog
Whether you are going with professional help or doing the entire property maintenance by yourself, it is important for you to be careful. There are a lot of things that a landlord must take care of, and maintenance of property tops the list. When you are going to rent out your property, you have to ensure that the property is given to the tenants in perfect condition and when they vacate, you have to make sure that they are giving it back to you in the same condition. To get all these things straight and maintain your house effectively, you must follow the below tips.
Tips to follow:
Be Clear About Roles
If there are any minor repairs and light maintenance issues in the house, then it is important for the tenant to address it. There is no need for you to get involved in those problems. If there are any bigger issues that need to be addressed, then landlord steps in. This is the basic maintenance rule that almost every landlord follows, and you must do it too. List the roles of you and your tenant in the lease agreement so that there won’t be any problems in the future.
You must be open about communication with your tenants. Let them know how they can contact you and the timings when they can do that too. This will help in dealing with a lot of property maintenance issues.
Document The Condition of Property
Before your new tenants get into the house, you must take a picture of all the rooms. It is important for you to have everything documented so that if any issue arises in the future, you can use them as reference. Share the pics with your tenants too so that they have an idea. Simple wear and tear issues are common in every property, and you cannot hold the tenant accountable for that. However, if they are unable to maintain your house effectively, then you can deduct the maintenance charges out of their rent. Be open about the house situation with your tenants.
Timely Maintenance
Never ignore any problems in your property, even the small ones. Your tenants must let you know about the issues that crop up immediately after they notice it. This is an important clause. They are bound to intimate you whenever there is a problem in the property almost immediately, or else they will face a fine from your end. This rule will help you with better property maintenance. You should also have scheduled checkups once in a month or two so that you can know the situation of the house.
File the Documents
It is important for you to have a separate file for property maintenance where you can collect and store all the receipts, documents, etc. Make sure that you have both hard copy and soft copy so that you can have a backup. These documents are going to play a very crucial role whenever some issue arises, and you must be careful with them.
Hire Professionals
If there is any problem in the house, hire a professional. Do not go with DIY as it can create a huge ruckus in the house. A professional will complete the job more effectively. It will cost you some bucks, but they are reliable.
Property maintenance is not just about renovating it; rather it is also about the wiring, plumbing and other things that form the basic structure of the house. Tenants are responsible for minor repairs, such as fixing minor plumbing clogs. However, if the problem involves replacing a semipermanent plumbing fixture like a toilet because of its age or an old issue, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to get a new unit and have it installed.
Conclusion
These are some of the tips that every landlord should have in mind when it comes to rental property maintenance.
If you’re a landlord looking for a property manager, look no further than Rentround. The platform enables landlords to find their perfect property manager for free. Landlords just need to enter a few details about their property and Rentround shows fees, performance, and services of local property managers