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Home Maintenance Items Landlords Should Do Between Tenants

As a landlord, I would love to keep tenants in my properties forever. While some stay a long time, most eventually leave to seek housing elsewhere. This is either by personal choice or through an eviction. Whenever that time comes, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to conduct some home maintenance and get the unit ready for the new tenant.

home maintenanceTurning a rental house around for the new tenants can be a time consuming and financially draining time. Hopefully, as a conscientious and aware landlord, you’ve kept track of what is going on at the property and have a good idea of what to expect in terms of potential home maintenance. There really shouldn’t be any surprises, but it seems like there always is.

Because even minor renovations will cost money and require time to complete, some landlords choose to skimp on or refuse to complete repairs. I disagree with this philosophy. As much as possible, I want the property to be in really good condition for the new tenants so that our relationship begins on the right foot.

Tenants need to know that you are a landlord that prides themselves in the condition of the unit and wants to treat them well. Hopefully your attention to detail and professionalism will bleed into the tenant’s mind and they will in turn do their best to keep the property as clean and damage free as can be expected.

Home Maintenance to Conduct Between Tenants

Some repairs and home maintenance will obviously be required before the new tenant moves in. While all facets of the house need inspection, these five areas are a must for any landlord to address:

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Why Millennials Are The Best Renters and How Landlords Can Attract Them

The number of people renting properties instead of buying them is still at a historically high level. Increasing house prices and stagnating wages make it more difficult to put together the necessary down payment. That down payment is important if you are looking to avoid extra costs of homeownership like mortgage insurance.

This leave many people in a position it makes the most sense to rent. And as a property investors, that is good news for you. It provides an excellent opportunity to make money as a landlord because it’s easier than ever to find tenants. 

making a bedOf all the age demographics, millennials (defined as young adults between 25 and 40 years old)  are the group most likely to live in a rental property right now. They are also set to become the largest living generation in a matter of years, so if you are investing in a rental property, they are your target market.

Unfortunately, a lot of landlords do not realize this. When they are buying and renovating properties, they don’t take specific steps to attract millennials. So, if you want to maximize your profits and reduce any issues with tenant turnover, these are the best ways to attract millennials. 

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Should I Hire An Apartment Rental Manager For My Property?

As I have mentioned here many times before, having a rental property is one of the most lucrative businesses that you can have. It doesn’t matter if it is your full-time passion or a business you do on the side. Owning property and renting it out to others is a great way to bring in income. 

First and foremost, you must always set good strategies to ensure the properties you choose are outstanding. The key strategy with this is finding the ideal locations where you can buy property. Look for areas with good neighborhoods, outstanding school systems, convenient distances from goods and services and easy access to major travel routes. In this way, it will be easy to convince tenants of the value of moving into your property.

As great a business as it can be, managing rental properties or apartments can be hectic, especially if you lack the skills of management. If you feel overwhelmed, I would advise you to use a rental manager who can help you run your property. Of course that comes with a fee for their services. But in the end, it may be a wise move to help you relieve stress, free up your time and actually make you more money. 

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Simple and Fun Ways Landlords Can Treat Their Tenants Well

Dog staring at a sign that says Dogs WelcomeThe primary objective for owning rental real estate is to make money. Landlords can facilitate meeting this objective by running their property like a business and treating their tenants well. A happy tenant is one more likely to stick around for the long term.

There are many money related issues with being a landlord. The most expensive and time consuming period, other than the initial purchase and renovation, is the turnaround phase after a tenant leaves. Repairs, cleaning, advertising, interviews, and background checks all need to be accomplished before a new tenant can move in. The fewer number of times a landlord devotes to those tasks the better.

With that in mind, here are some things I’m doing to help my tenants enjoy their stay.

Response Times

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How Landlords Can Screen Out Potentially Bad Renters

bad rentersOwning and renting property is one of the best investment strategies for building long-term wealth. Besides the money needed to purchase the property, what holds most people back is the fear of dealing with bad renters. It’s not a misguided consideration either. Take it from someone who knows – bad renters can be awful.

With that being said, in my five years of owning rental property, I’ve only had one bad renter who forced me to take legal action and pursue an eviction. I attribute that success to the process whereby I select tenants for my properties. I live by the adage that the best place to catch potentially bad renters is before they sign on the dotted line.

How to Screen Out Bad Renters

What can a landlord do to screen out a potentially bad renters? Here are six things I’m doing that may seem obvious but are often not followed.

1. Handle your emotions on a vacant property

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