Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
This might seem like a silly questions, but I am looking for as many answers and tips as I can. With my number of rentals growing and available staff in short supply, how do you handle getting units prepped for the next tenant if you have multiples tenancies ending on the same day? Do you say people have to be out by a certain time and then just stay up all night working? My busy months are the summer and while I can hire people for one day, they are not people I have worked with before and I cant be at all of my properties to supervise and once. Thanks for all the replies ahead of time.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Find a great handyman who can do all these things (painting, drywall, carpentry, cleaning, etc) pretty well, and pay him per unit. Ask him to bring in help if necessary to get a typical unit turned over in 4-6 hours, and let him know that once a month (on the last day of the month), you may ask him to do up to three units in a day.
To incent him to do this, offer to use him for your intermediate repairs (when tenants call you with problems).
Investor · Memphis, TN · Member since 2009 · 54 posts · 49 votes
17y
Jeff:
As you grow you will have to add more GOOD people. You will have to be proactive in the hiring process and set the standard, rules, pay, and quality you expect. As the owner you set the way your business will operate. Make a plan and write it down. You can't put people out before the end of the contract.
I am a general contractor and you will have to tell your construction workers how long they have and give them a scope of work. If you have been doing this for a while you should know what you want and ask the contractor for advice on major issues above your expertise.
If you plan to grow you have to train people your method or operation. I wish you well.
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
17y
I am talking about a tenant moving out the last day of the month and one moving in the next day into the same unit. This is not a huge project. I know how to run those, but I am talking about cleaning, painting, drywall, etc. all in a few hours.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
17y
Find a great handyman who can do all these things (painting, drywall, carpentry, cleaning, etc) pretty well, and pay him per unit. Ask him to bring in help if necessary to get a typical unit turned over in 4-6 hours, and let him know that once a month (on the last day of the month), you may ask him to do up to three units in a day.
To incent him to do this, offer to use him for your intermediate repairs (when tenants call you with problems).
Investor · Memphis, TN · Member since 2009 · 54 posts · 49 votes
17y
Jeff:
It's the same concept. CPM? Critical Path Method. If you have a deadline you develop your scope and hold everyone accountable for their time frame. ie paint, drywall, and cleaning. Check references and quality of work prior to hiring. Just trying to give you advice. You state you know how to run those but its the same thing. If you stage and plan right shouldn't be a problem, but most people don't plan or communicate expectations to workers.
I rarely post but I know construction management. Good luck!
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
Jeff,
As you already know, the current tenants have legal possession of the unit until midnight on the last day of the month. Even if you try to specify a certain time that they must be out, it won't always happen.
There are many ways to handle this issue. Yes, you can stay up all night working on the rentals and even hire a big crew trying to get everything ready for the morning of the 1st. If you don't use these crews on a regular basis, chances are that half of them won't show up and the other half will be incompetent. If there ever comes a day when I can't do the work of 5 hourly workers, I'll quit and do something else!!!
If a tenant isn't going to move in until the 1st, then they can usually move in on the 2nd or 3rd. Once they've stayed in their current rental past midnight on the last day of the month, they already owe their current landlord a month's rent! So, moving their move-in date back a day or two so you can get their rental ready isn't a big deal. I simply tell the tenant that their unit won't be ready until the 3rd (or whatever). That is almost never a problem. If one tenant does have a problem with that, then focus on their unit and do the others over the next couple of days. Another way to handle a tenant that is desperate to move-in is to do a rough clean of their apartment and then come back in a few days to do any deferred items (like drywall, touch up painting, etc) I'm actually doing that today. I've got a tenant that moved out yesterday and another that must move in today (because the city is kicking him out of his current rental, which was never zoned for residential rentals). So, I'm meeting the tenant at 8:45 this morning to get the rent and deposit, and I'll do the work over the next 2 or 3 days. NO BIG DEAL!
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
17y
I already run a crew of three painters and a handyman. I guess I will get him to get all of his amigos and buy then diner or something to work late. I will not have this probelm til next season as I didnt have enough rentals, but this next year should be interesting.
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
17y
I guess there are no good answers. I want to be a pro and not be painting fancy units once my tenant has moved in. Thought someone might have had a great idea.
Investor · Memphis, TN · Member since 2009 · 54 posts · 49 votes
17y
Jeff:
I wish you well but you really don't need anyone to answer you because you already know or have done it. It's the way you want to run it and that's all that matters.
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
17y
I do try to make them end at different times, but when you only have 3 months where the rental market is hot and I try to have them all turn over then.
Involved In Real Estate · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 89 posts · 15 votes
17y
Here in Los Angeles... We have guys who are looking for extra work, hanging out at home depots or similar dept stores. I usully pick up 1 or 2 of them and put them to work. If you need man power to get cleaning etc... done. This is porbably the best way, and cheap too.
Real Estate Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2008 · 566 posts · 356 votes
17y
Jeff
If you do a pre-move out inspection and can identify the non-cleaning items (paint, drywall, etc), then see if you can schedule that sometime prior to the actual move out/in. Your lease should give you some amount of access (obviously your showing the unit prior to move out), just leave the actual clean and shine, not fix-up, for the day between tenants.
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
You won't have this problem next season either, because that's just not the way it works in the real world. I'm not saying that you'll never have multiple renters wanting to move in simultaneously, but that is not the norm. People move in and out every day of the month. There are a million reasons for that, but that is the reality. Here are just a couple of reasons that people move-in at times other than the morning of the 1st.
1. They don't get paid until the 1st, therefore they don't get their check until the end of work on the 1st.
2. They can't get a U-haul until the 2nd.
3. Their brother-in-law can't help them move until Saturday.
4. They get paid on Friday and won't have the move in money until them.
5. The forecast is for rain on the 1st.
6. They must pay another month's rent if they stay past midnight on the 31st - so they must move BEFORE the 1st.
I could go on and on and on and on. However, the bottom line is that in the real world, the majority of tenants don't move on the 1st. My latest tenant moved in on the 24th (two days ago).
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
17y
Ralph S. Good thinking. I have pretty good tenants. Mostly Yuppies. Most of the work tends to be painting and cleaning. I should be able to get my crew of guys and a couple of their amigos to knock this out in a day.
Mike, I do a lot of rehab on my rentals as I have been buying REOs. I have had most of my tenants want to move in before the 1st as they dont want to pay another month's rent to their landlord.
Although you mention that you TRY to stagger your lease end dates, I think you should enforce this more rigidly. In the long run, you will find it imperative to determine what length of leases you are not going to be able to offer because you should not have more than a few leases ending in the same month. Using this strategy will save you time, money, and better your emotional and physical health-I assure you. You should actually have no more than 9.93% of your leases, at maximum, expire per month. As your company grows, as I'm sure you know, it is inevitable that you will require more staff. I do not agree with the suggestion that you should do a "pre-walk through," as many tenants, at least where I am currently employed, do a fantastic job of cleaning their apartments, and sometimes hire their own apartments to be cleaned, carpet cleaned, or paint. A "pre-walk through" is not fair to the tenants, and actually may be worse condition, as they are moving, than when they actually vacate the premises. While I am aware that you REALLY want your new tenants to be able to move a few days early, sometimes it's just NOT feasible. Stick to your guns, if not, there are always other renters out there- pending that you are utilizing adequate marketing and pricing techniques.
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
16y
I live in Wisconsin and rental season in my area is only four months. They are all on year leases. If I own more than 100 units, there is no way that 9.93 percent of my units will expire at the same time. How do you get a number like that anyways? It seem totally random.
I was looking for new ideas. Right now, I have my normal finish crew (4 guys), plus I hire college kids if I need more help. I guess I will keep this system until I get to the point where it really doesnt work.