Is Your Rental Property Prepared for Spring?
January 17, 2017
Managing rental properties over time involves a great deal more than collecting rents, addressing maintenance and repair issues, and screening prospective tenants. Even though you just made it through another holiday season and into the New Year, this is the time to start looking ahead and focusing on getting properties ready for spring once winter begins to dissipate. When you’ve hired the right property management company to oversee your rentals, you can rest assured that they will begin working on a spring preparation agenda after the holidays.
If you’re still struggling as a hands-on landlord, you should consider hiring a property management company to oversee the daily operation of your properties. Here are 3 ways that a property management company will ensure that your rental properties are prepared for the upcoming spring season:
1: Ensure that the exterior of the home is safe – It’s important to check the exterior of every rental home for cracks in the driveway and sidewalks as well as the outside walls. The key is to minimize liability risks. Therefore it is vital to flatten and repair any cement areas to prevent slip or trip and fall accidents. You shouldn’t need a reminder about how a personal injury lawsuit can wreak havoc on you financially. Fortunately, the right property management company will help you avoid costly legal matters.
2: Increase a property’s curb appeal – Renting your property to new tenants can be a lot easier if it has lots of curb appeal. Remember, it’s all about aesthetic appeal and whether or not the outside of the home catches their attention enough to want to see the interior. There are a number of ways to increase curb appeal such as:
- Adding window treatments
- A fresh coat of paint
- Having the exterior nicely landscaped, mowed, and weed-free
- Upgrading doors and windows
Landscaping the property with flower beds, rock gardens, spring plants, and wood chips increases curb appeal and attracts prospective tenants.
3: Inspect the roof – Property management companies typically inspect the roof on all rental properties on an annual basis after the winter has passed and before the rainy season starts. Some of the more common issues that inspections reveal are areas in need of replacement, cracked areas, missing shingles, and so on. This ensures that there will be less damage during heavy rains and storms.
Not only will you feel more at ease, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your rental property is ready for spring, even if you’re not there to see it. By taking enough time to thoroughly inspect the home inside and out, you’ll see where repairs are needed and can address them immediately. This also helps you to avoid unforeseen repairs and the costs associated with them in the future once you have a new tenant living there. It makes it all simple for you and the tenants.