Final Preparations for Your Rental

The minute the renter puts his name on the lease agreement of your rental property, you have to take this day until before he moves into the rental to do some last-minute organization. By performing final inspections prior to move-in day, you are making sure that everything in the rental is in great shape and works well, and you’re assured that your investment is protected.

Although you have taken steps to get the apartment or condo for rent ready for when you were still showing it, some testing and checking is still necessary to be sure that things will go as smoothly as possible. Before letting the tenant move into the unit, here are some things that deserve to have a second look.

Cleanliness

If the tenant sees the apartment or condo in shambles, he might have second thoughts about moving in. Evaluate every inch of the property; depending on how well or how badly the place looks when your previous tenant left will tell you how deep the cleaning should be. If the last occupant was nice enough to leave the place relatively clean, you can do with some sweeping and mopping. Should the opposite be true, you will need to call reinforcements (aka a cleaning company) to do the ‘dirty’ job. In the event that the previous tenant’s child fancied himself Van Gogh and expressed his talent on the walls, cover up his artwork with fresh paint. Get rid of unpleasant smells, whether from cigarette smoke or Rover, by ventilating the unit.

Pests

Infestation of pests like ants, mice, termites and roaches should be taken care of immediately. Not only will this protect your tenants from the health hazards that these creatures can bring; it will also prevent further damage to your property. Getting a professional exterminator is your safest bet in getting rid of these things; no rat poison or feet stomping will kill whatever lurks in the walls and under the floorboards.

Locks

To make sure that your new tenant will be safe in the rental, make sure that you change the locks. If you don’t replace the locks and the last renter didn’t give back his set of keys, there is a chance that he might attempt to rob from or harm the new tenant. You can also make the new renter feel even safer if you take the initiative of installing a door chain or a deadbolt.

Others

Take care of anything that the new tenant noted during the showing, like broken light switches or a busted shower head. Test out any appliances that you’re renting out with the unit to make sure that they’re not broken. Furthermore, check to see if smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and other safety devices are working well.

When you take the initiative in handling these errands, you will be viewed as a great landlord, and you can also keep any further damage from occurring to your apartment or condo.