Good Maintenance = Happy Tenants

The Old Adage – You only get one chance to make a great first impression is certainly the case when showing rental units.

The rental market as a whole has changed over the last 15 years. Today’s rental consumers (tenants) are increasingly aware of repairs and amenities in the units they are looking at. From a management point of view, nothing is quite as embarrassing as a prospective tenant opening a dirty oven, opening a blind that comes crashing down on their head or pulling a doorknob that comes off in their hand. One can only imagine what is going through their heads – after all if the door knob isn’t installed correctly – what is the furnace like?

The pre-rental walk-through is crucial in avoiding these mistakes and makes the landlords life easier from the start. Do a thorough walk-through of each room and take notes on what you see. I start to the right and go through each room checking switches, looking at flooring, testing outlets, opening and closing blinds, opening and closing windows, checking for screens, smoke detectors are a must – I like at lease one hard-wire smoke detector on each floor. In kitchens and baths test the faucets, look under the sinks for leaks, test the pop-ups and drains, kitchens and baths should have GFCI outlets anywhere near a sink.  Tubs should be freshly caulked and I always install a shower curtain and rod (because yes, there are tenants who will wait weeks to buy one).

In bedrooms, check all doors to see that they close easily (do this while outside the room as I once locked myself in a bathroom and had to call for help!) Are cold-air return ducts clean and free of debris?

Basements should have sturdy steps and handrails, and be free of water and mold. We always paint our basement walls and floors and it really makes a difference! Good lighting is essential near the laundry and breaker box. Outlets at the washer should be GFCI protected also. Now is a good time to install a clean air filter in that furnace and leave extras for future use.

Last but not least the unit should be clean, clean, clean. Do you really want a tenant who is happy to move into an dirty unit? How do you think they will leave it? I know!

The exterior should be well-lit and care given to make sure doors and mailboxes work correctly. This list is just a start but gives you an idea of what tenants are looking for when they visit your property for the first time.

So how do you balance good maintenance and a tight budget? The most important thing is to make sure that the unit is in good shape to begin with, second, you need good communication with tenants so they aren’t afraid to call when there is a problem. Finding out that there’s been a leak in the basement for 3 months is not a good thing. Nip the problem in the bud at an early stage to prevent larger future problems.

Lastly, tenants should feel comfortable enough with management to call about problems and know they will be taken care of in a quick and professional manner.  Your tenants are your customers and good customer service is the key to a long and prosperous rental relationship.

Jennifer Looper is a licensed real estate agent and property manager with Weller Realty, Inc. She has been actively managing properties for 15 years. She is also the business manager for Eagle Property Maintenance of Dayton Ohio. Please visit their website at www.eagleprops.net.