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8 Tips for Getting Your Property Ready to Rent

Aug 11, 2022

Tenants come and go. Knowing this, you must be prepared to handle a vacant property. You need to stage it for property showings. To obtain good marketing results, learn the essential things that prospects are on the lookout for.

Here are tips for landlords to follow to get your rental home rent-ready:

1. Actively market your unit on multiple listing sites.

As you’re racing against time to reduce out-of-pocket maintenance expenses, it’s best to be proactive when it comes to advertising your unit. Utilize online and offline avenues to find a pool of prospects. Talk to your network, spread the vacancy information through word-of-mouth, or post on your social media. Schedule property showings for interested prospects.

You can also get in touch with your current tenants for recommendations. They might know someone searching for a rental place to stay in. Respond promptly to inquiries. When posting, attach attractive images to further capture potential tenants’ attention. Emphasize the best features and highlight what’s unique about your rental unit. Use engaging property descriptions to catch the emotions of those looking at listings.

2. Be aware of appliances and furnishings that have reached their end-use.

Find time to send damaged items for repair or purchase replacements. When your rental is occupied, you might find it hard to identify items that require repairs or need to be replaced. But a vacant unit leaves you with room to do a thorough checkup.

Take today as a new opportunity to contact specialists for proper maintenance. If an item has become worn down from normal wear and tear, it’s reasonable to replace it. Some furnishings and appliances will only last according to a given life span so you should always mind this.

Some things you can assess are:

Lightbulbs that require being replaced.
Functionality of the smoke detectors and fire alarms.
Broken door knobs and cracked windows.
Condition of the carpets, curtains, and window blinds.

3. Plan a walk-through and check off the items in a checklist.

Before welcoming a new tenant, you can conduct a proper inspection to evaluate property damages and do a before and after comparison for that rental period. You can start writing a list of items that need repairs. This is also a required duty as a landlord to hand over the security deposit refund. Ensure that your assessment is fair.

Refer to the checklist to make sure you’re not leaving anything out. Once the repairs are done, hold on to the receipts to make a copy for the tenants to prove that repairs have been done.

4. Hire professional cleaners to do a thorough cleanup of the rental unit.

Check the state of the rental home. If it’s fairly clean, then you can do the subsequent cleaning without engaging professional help.

But engaging the services of professional cleaners can enhance the cleanliness of your property as they’re properly trained and are using the best cleaning machines to thoroughly clean hidden areas. If the renter has left the rental in a mess, you can also deduct the cleaning cost from the security deposit.

Suggested checklist for cleaning areas:

Bathroom: toilet, shower, sink, floor, walls, storage cabinets, mirror.
Kitchen: counters, sink, floor, storage spaces, kitchen drawers, stove, refrigerator.
Key spaces: walls, windows, ceilings, closets, garage space, laundry area, windows.

5. Rekey and install new locks for main doors.

Since a new renter will be moving in, you need to change the locks for security purposes. Only the new tenants must access the property. This is a critical duty to perform whenever you’re changing tenants. Keys must be changed and new locks must be installed. This must be high on your priority list. To make it easier, you can also invest in electronic locks so the process is efficient and you can simply alter the passwords.

6. Conduct property upgrades.

The best thing about a property vacancy is having the time to perform renovations and upgrades. When you have a renter, improvements can be limited and you want to avoid disturbing the tenant as much as possible. If you hire a contractor, they can also efficiently complete the project since they don’t have to work around the schedule of the renters.

Suggested areas for rental improvement projects:

Wall repainting.
Landscaping.
Installing additional storage areas.
Room expansion.
Tearing down walls.
Creating soundproof walls.
Roof repair or replacement.

Bottom Line

Though these tips can be extensive, a well-maintained rental can bring full satisfaction to your renters. It encourages them to treat your property in a similar way and keep it in a good state. Another way to manage your rental is to hire a property manager who has plenty of resources. Doing all the tasks above can be time-consuming on your own.

It’s best to outsource rental property management services to free up your time, especially if you’re handling a ton of responsibilities outside of your rental business. Contact Dawson Property Management today!

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The process of moving out can be a source of stress for both landlords and tenants. Landlords face challenges such as conducting property inspections, returning security deposits, and advertising rentals to find new tenants. Meanwhile, tenants are busy coordinating their move and packing, often leaving things behind unintentionally. One common issue for landlords after a tenant moves out is the continued receipt of mail addressed to the former tenant. This can include junk mail or packages, and dealing with it can be a source of stress. Thankfully, Dawson Property Management has provided the following guide to help you handle mail from previous tenants. Legal Considerations Regarding Mail from Previous Tenants It is imperative to familiarize yourself with various local and state laws, especially if you are a first-time landlord. This includes handling mail directed to former tenants. Opening or disposing of someone else’s mail without explicit consent is a serious transgression carrying legal ramifications. The privacy of mail is safeguarded by federal law. Violating this law, such as intentionally opening, destroying, or stealing mail not belonging to the recipient, can result in significant fines or up to five years of imprisonment. Offenders may also face civil lawsuits seeking damages.