Welcoming new tenants into your Carson rental property should be the start of a pleasant rental experience for you and your residents. It requires a lot of planning and preparation. You want to be efficient, thus limiting the vacancy period. You also want to be thorough.
Offering a well-maintained property not only attracts quality tenants but also increases rental values. It sets the stage for a positive landlord-tenant relationship.
Here is our comprehensive guide to preparing your property for new Carson tenants.
Inspect for Maintenance Issues and Upgrade Potential
First, you’ll want to make sure the property is ready for your tenant. It has to be move-in ready. You want all appliances in place. You need all the lights working.
Start with a thorough inspection. This should be conducted after your previous tenant moves out, when you’re inside the property to assess the work that needs to be done to make it ready for your next renter.
Check for any systems or appliances that aren’t working properly. You do not want your new tenants moving into a home with a broken refrigerator or windows that don’t close properly. Check every detail. Make sure everything is functional, and if it’s not, schedule the work right away with your trusted vendors. You want to do this before you even schedule showings.
Make a list of minor things that may be needed such as new air filters, new light bulbs, and updated paint.
Then, consider what you will need to do in terms of improvements or upgrades. These may be necessary to make the home attractive to a new pool of tenants. Maybe it’s been years since you changed the carpet. Replace it if it’s worn and especially if it’s stained or faded. It’s a good time to consider abandoning the carpet entirely. Why not modernize your rental and install hard surface floors instead? They’re more attractive and easier to maintain. Tenants will notice. Rental values will rise.
Look for other opportunities to make cost-effective improvements before your new tenant moves in. This is a great way to attract high quality residents and higher rents. New appliances, fresh paint, and upgraded technology inside your rental property will make a big difference. Improve your lighting. Install cosmetic improvements like tile backsplash or ceiling fans.
Check for Safety and Habitability Issues
The repairs you make and the work you do are essential to making the home desirable to your next tenants. Habitability is essential, and with habitability comes safety. California has an implied warranty of habitability, and recent laws now require local governments to enforce those standards more forcefully. But you want to do more than the minimum that’s legally required.
Keep the utilities on when the home is vacant, otherwise, you won’t be able to get the necessary work done. You’ll also want to have at least some light on at the property, so it doesn’t look vacant and vulnerable. When you’re showing the home, you’ll need electricity and water in case tenants want to test the lights and turn on the sinks. This may require you to turn the utility accounts back on in your name.
Inspect the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working. Have the plumbing and electrical systems checked to ensure you’re not in danger of having any leaks, fires, or other problems. Doors and windows should open, close, and lock properly. Look for loose handrails, trip hazards on floors, and branches or roots that may present problems outside. Test every outlet. Clean the lint out of the dryer.
Cleaning Your Carson Rental Property
After you have completed all inspections and maintenance, and you know that everything is safe and working, and you’ve made some upgrades and had all the vendors come through the front door that you need, it’s time to turn your attention to cleaning your property.
Have the property professionally cleaned. Marketing your rental property will not be easy if there’s dirt left behind by prior tenants or the vendors who performed work during the turnover period. Good renters don’t want to move into anyone’s dust and dirt.
Hire cleaners who will pay attention to detail. You want shining surfaces and dusted ceiling fans. You want appliances pulled away from walls and baseboards polished. Exceptional marketing photos will require a clean, empty home.
Change Your Locks or Install Smart Locks
It’s important to re-key your property before new tenants move in. While collecting keys and remote openers is surely part of your move-out process when the former tenant leaves, you have no idea how many copies of the keys have been made and distributed to friends, family members, and just about anyone.
When you re-key your property, you’re giving your new tenants some extra safety and security. It allows you to maintain more control over who has access to the property as well. Keep a copy for yourself in case your tenant misplaces their key or you need to get into the home during an emergency.
If you don’t like the idea of a new key, there’s plenty of technology available to help you make your property ready for a new resident. Install a digital keypad, and instead of changing the locks between tenancies, you’ll simply have to reset the code. This can help when you need to give vendors temporary access to the property, too.
Create Great Curb Appeal for Carson Rentals
Pay attention to your curb appeal before a new tenant moves in. You want to make your outdoor space and your landscaping look great.
Ideally, you’ll pay attention to curb appeal before you even begin marketing your property. It’s important to attract your best residents by making a great first impression. When they approach your home, drive by your property, or even scroll through marketing photos online, tenants need to connect with the way your property looks. It should be welcoming and inviting.
Give the lawn a final mow before move-in day. Make sure the trash bins are in place. Make the home or the building welcoming from the outside.
Preparing the Lease Agreement
Before you open the doors of your property to a new tenant, you have to sign the lease.
You’ll need to access a lease agreement that’s specific to California, which has some statewide requirements. You don’t want to sign a lease that doesn’t have the necessary disclosures and addenda. Make sure your lease reflects some of the recent legal changes, too, especially around rent control and security deposits.
Get the lease signed as soon as possible after a tenant has been approved. You can send it digitally and be available to answer any questions that your incoming tenant may have about their responsibilities and your expectations.
In addition to getting the lease signed, you’ll want to collect move-in funds. You never want to hand over the keys until your tenant has paid the security deposit, the first month’s rent, and any other fees or deposits such as pet fees. There are new limits to what you can collect in California, so don’t over-charge. For furnished or unfurnished rental properties, you now cannot collect more than the equivalent of one month’s rent as a security deposit. Unless you qualify for the small landlord exemption.
Move-In Inspection: Document the Condition of Your Property
Right before your tenant moves in, prepare a checklist and document the condition of your property. You need an accurate record of how the property looked before they lived there.
During your move-in inspection, we recommend that you take a lot of pictures to support your description of the property’s condition. Note any imperfections or problems that you did not manage to take care of before the move-in date (there should not be many, but maybe there’s a small scratch in a counter or a closet door that sticks).
Allow your tenant to conduct a walk-through of their own so they can sign off on the condition report. You both must agree on the condition of the home. You’ll use this report at the end of the tenancy when you’re making decisions about whether there was any damage left behind by the tenant.
Make Tenants Comfortable in Their New Home
Now that your new residents are ready to move in and the property is ready for them, you’ll want to make sure they understand how the property works. Tenants don’t want to arrive on Day One and fight with the thermostat or the dishwasher.
You can provide a video, a set of written notes, or an in-person explanation of where to find the water shut off valve, where the circuit breakers are, and which days the trash is collected.
This is not only a great way to welcome your tenants to their new home, it’s an outstanding first step towards better tenant retention. An efficient move-in process that’s full of necessary, helpful information and extra resources will result in a happier tenant who feels supported and appreciated.
These are just a few of the most important steps to take when you have a new tenant moving into your Carson rental property. If you need some help with this process, please contact us at Real Property Management Choice.
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