When your rental property is vacant, you want it filled as soon as possible to keep the rent coming in—but you also want the best possible tenant. When a rental home is not ready to be shown or the rent is set too high for the market, it delays the leasing process, turns off prospective tenants, and hurts your cash flow. It is critical that your property be ready to make a good impression. Real Property Management leases over 5,000 homes per month and has perfected the “rent-ready” process to ensure the home is leased quickly. When you follow these simple steps, prospective tenants are more likely to see your rental property as a place they can call home.
- Assess the property’s “CURB APPEAL” from the street as if you were a potential tenant—an unattractive first impression can prevent prospective renters from ever viewing the home.
- Walk through and note needed MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS, especially safety and security items, but cosmetic issues as well.
- Running or leaking plumbing, broken windows, mold, ineffective door locks, etc.—all put you, and your tenant, at risk.
- RE-KEY the property to prevent safety concerns, protect you from liability, and ensure simple, secure access. This is also required by law in many areas.
- CHECK APPLIANCES to ensure they are in working order, clean, and provided with new filters—the water heater, air conditioner and heater.
- Also ensure that smoke and any other detectors as required by law—carbon monoxide, radon, etc.,–are in place and working with fresh batteries.
- If REMODELING, cleaning or major work is needed, don’t market and show the property while under construction– it’s difficult for tenants to see what a home “might” look like.
- REMOVE any personal belongings anywhere on the property Anything you leave behind can expose you to liability.
- PAINT any non-neutral colored walls a neutral color. Do not “touch-up”—paint completely, and do not leave paint behind for tenants to use.
- Remember to KEEP UTILITIES ON until the tenant moves in. The goal is to create a home the prospective tenant can happily imagine themselves living in—so don’t leave them in the dark! Make sure the home is well-lit and a comfortable temperature.
- Have the home professionally CLEANed and clean up after any handyperson or maintenance crew has completed any work.
- UPKEEP the property during vacancy, including lawn care, landscaping, watering, pest control and routine weekly cleanings.
- INSTALL A LOCK BOX. This allows leasing agents to securely show the property to prospective tenants while reflecting professionalism. The property remains secure, yet accessible.
- Determine an appropriate RENT AMOUNT for the market, area, property condition and type so you quickly attract a sufficient number of interested applicants.
- A rent rate set too-high will result in a longer vacancy time, which can quickly eat away at the profit you are striving for.
Put simply, the more attractive the property, the easier it is to lease it quickly to the most reliable tenant possible. If you need assistance getting your rental home “Rent Ready” the experts at Real Property Management can help you do more for less—faster. Put our experienced team and proven process to work for you. Call Real Property Management West San Fernando Valley at 818.727.0100 today!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
