What to expect for Property Owners

What to expect before renting:
•    Expect that the locks will need to be changed; keyless deadbolts will need to be added and/or secondary locking devices on sliding doors.
•    Expect a thorough cleaning to be done including professionally cleaning the carpets, possibly painting the walls but certainly touching up the paint and filling the holes and cracks, bleaching counter surfaces, wiping down walls, replacing light bulbs that have gone out, batteries for smoke detectors, etc. If garbage has to be hauled away someone has to get it done.
•    Expect that the yard and landscaping will need to be kept up to standards during the showing period but also redone if necessary before move in. A few $5 flowers go a long way for curb appeal.
•    Expect that while your taste may be wonderful that possible tenants may have different taste. Neutral is generally the best policy.
•    Expect to show the property with short to no notice and have it spotless to get it rented ASAP. Every day of vacancy on a $160,000 unit is $50 a day that you’re paying for vacancy. This cost will be higher than management fees and maintenance combined if you don’t have a company that’s aggressive. Also ensure valuables and medication is secured.
•    Expect to purchase a year worth of air filters and have them ready for the tenants to use. Do this because your HVAC system is very expensive to fix but filters are cheap to purchase and you want the tenants to use them.
•    Expect to receive your check from the 15th to the 21st of each month depending on when the tenants pay their rent and when the USPS decides to deliver the mail.

When your rental is occupied:
•    Expect things to break. Just because the kitchen sink worked fine when you lived there I can promise that it will fall completely off when you’re renting out the house. The heat will go out on the first day of winter and the AC will stop working on the first hot day of summer. That’s just the way it is.
•    Expect to have your questions answered and calls/emails returned. We are here to serve you and communicate with you to save you money, provide you options and ensure you’re as successful as possible.
•    Expect to have a full accounting every month of an account that’s specific to your property and not combined with a pool of others.
•    Expect to have transparency when it comes to your agreement with us and our agreement with the tenants. You will have their up to date contact information and lease terms at your fingertips on your monthly statement.
•    Expect to find one bad lemon in each barrel of tenants. We check them out thoroughly but some people get laid off and can’t pay rent because if items out of their control. Be ready to be flexible so that we can move toward a positive solution for the best financial outcome.
•    Expect to do minimum maintenance to save money and hassle in the long run. Have the condenser coils cleaned on the refrigerator annually. Have the dryer vents cleaned every couple years. Have the dishwasher run with a cleaner or vinegar to clean out the lime and prolong life.

When it’s time to get another renters:
•    Expect for us to have to go through the cleaning, landscaping and listing/advertising process again. We would all love to have perfect tenants but a small percentage is not very considerate. We will push for the best and plan for the worst to ensure your long term success.

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