Investor · Summerville, SC · Member since 2021 · 22 posts · 11 votes
How do you tenant proof your rentals? I was listening to BP show 48 and they gave a few ideas. I listed a few of them they discussed plus some from this post. What else do you do?
Screen tenants thoroughly
Use 5/8 drywall
led lighting in common places
ceramic tile or LVP flooring
Satin/semi-gloss paint for easy cleaning
tenant tip letters
Any tips on toilets that don't clog easily? what else do you do?
Investor · The Creek, WV · Member since 2014 · 890 posts · 1k+ votes
4y
Two things I do in addition to what you listed.
I use the same color of paint in all of my rentals. Grey and white. This makes it much easier to touch up and keep track of.
Second thing. Under the sinks, I put down some vinyl or something similar. If there is a leak it will not ruin the floor of the cabinet and tenants are more likely to see/notice it. Most people don't look under there very often. This has really helped over the years.
Investor · Olathe, KS · Member since 2017 · 123 posts · 99 votes
4y
@Bronson Simmons
I don’t typically have very many problems. One piece of advice is use the same color paint in all your rentals. Much easier to patch walls and do touch ups when you have a turnover. Hope that helps.
Investor · Akron, OH · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
We make ours extra nice so we get the cream of the crop in renters. We also do daich spreadstone countertops which are super easy to repair if damaged and we finish our own cabinets so we can touch up as needed. Also, we get rid of carpet as soon as it is at the end of it's life and replace with laminate and vinyl. We've had good luck with glacier bay toilets both the $89 1.28 gf and the $99 dual flush 1.1/1.6 gf.
Investor · The Creek, WV · Member since 2014 · 890 posts · 1k+ votes
4y
Two things I do in addition to what you listed.
I use the same color of paint in all of my rentals. Grey and white. This makes it much easier to touch up and keep track of.
Second thing. Under the sinks, I put down some vinyl or something similar. If there is a leak it will not ruin the floor of the cabinet and tenants are more likely to see/notice it. Most people don't look under there very often. This has really helped over the years.
I don’t typically have very many problems. One piece of advice is use the same color paint in all your rentals. Much easier to patch walls and do touch ups when you have a turnover. Hope that helps.
I use the same color of paint in all of my rentals. Grey and white. This makes it much easier to touch up and keep track of.
Second thing. Under the sinks, I put down some vinyl or something similar. If there is a leak it will not ruin the floor of the cabinet and tenants are more likely to see/notice it. Most people don't look under there very often. This has really helped over the years.
Yes! We do that as well. We often use peel and stick vinyl flooring in sink bases.
I am curious. Do you use the Daich kit on laminate tops or other materials?
We have done it over old laminate, we just sand with and orbital to prep per the instructions, and we have also used it directly on new custom cut particle board and/or mdf counter tops.
Rental Property Investor · Ontario, CA (Ontario) · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 6 votes
4y
@Jill F. Great points, we do the same. Higher quality units and finishes attract a better pool of applicants that you are able to select from. Not fool proof but minimizes risk when you can get professionals. It also works as a recession proofing.
1. Minimize unnecessary landscaping - Too many bushes, shrubs, and specialty plants are unlikely to be fully maintained. Depending on your location and climate, consider low-maintenance options such xeriscape, rubber mulch, etc. In particular, remove all bushes around the outdoor HVAC condenser unit...they'll get overgrown, restrict airflow to the condenser, deposit debris into the condenser, and ultimately make it less efficient.
2. One of my rentals has hardwood floors (was already installed when I purchased the home). I installed a built-in shoe shelf/bench inside the front door to encourage the tenants to remove shoes when entering the home. I also require all furniture placed on the hardwood floors to have felt pads placed under the legs. Dirt/sand/pebbles on the bottoms of shoes and furniture legs sliding across the floor can both do significant damage to hardwoods.
3. If the power gets knocked out, the tenant's first concern isn't going to be whether or not the sump pump is working. So I had a sump pump battery backup installed. It activates whenever the primary pump is not working (e.g. power outages) and continues to pump water preventing a flooded basement. Make sure you choose a sealed battery (which is virtually maintenance-free) vs. wet battery (which require periodic refill of distilled water). It's a few hundred dollar initial investment, but well worth it to prevent a multi-thousand dollar basement repair later.
Investor · Akron, OH · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
@Joel Allen When we bought our first property we tore up the 30+ year old carpet and found pretty nice hardwood floors underneath, but in almost every unit it looked like someone had varnished AROUND the edges of a room sized rug. I was truly puzzled by that; why would those old timers varnish around a rug? I found out when I was purchasing a nice rug for my dining room; the guy at the rug store ask me if I had hardwood and told me I would need to get a rug pad to protect my hardwood or the friction between the rug and the floor would eventually rub off the finish. I suspect that is what happened in the apartments; We refinished the floors in the apartments and now we require rug pads in units with hardwood flooring.
Developer · Missoula MT · Member since 2016 · 232 posts · 84 votes
4y
I'd consider xeriscaping by putting down river rocks, crushed gravel, or decomposed granite for a portion of the landscaping, as rocks are a lot easier to maintain than grass.
When you buy paint, there is a code used and printed on the can that will tell a paint store the exact color, quality, gloss, etc. if tenants know the code, they can know how to buy the exact touch up paint.
I'd consider xeriscaping by putting down river rocks, crushed gravel, or decomposed granite for a portion of the landscaping, as rocks are a lot easier to maintain than grass.
Great ideas! I miss Southern California landscaping because it’s mostly easily managed rocks and sand.
We always give our tenants at move in we give them a bug spray (if you see ants, spray. If you see them again, spray a 2nd, 3rd time-- if that doesn't work call me), and a thing of GREEN GOBLER. This stuff is amazing, and safe for toilets. I explain to people to do it overnight, and then boil water pour it down-- it works WONDERS. Also make sure to add hair catchers in the bathtubs, it's $5, but if it saves you from a plumbing call--it's worth it!
A few people also say that they leave them plungers. The more tools you can give the tenants the better, as they can fix it themselves first before needing to call you. In our lease it clearly says-- nothing other than TP, and if they cause a clog it's on them. Hope this helps!
Investor · Summerville, SC · Member since 2021 · 22 posts · 11 votes
4y
Here's some tips from this BP video and some from Holten Wise's video. It seems like you need to consider the demographic and neighborhood rating for some of these (ex:no dishwasher!?)
Don't use cheap faucets or door handles
Semi-gloss or satin paints
Avoid wood products on exterior (paver stones, trex decks), but if you don't, then use
Grout and tile is caulked/sealed
1 piece tub surrounds reduce maintenance
counter surfaces are solid and unbroken
anti-freeze spigots
low maintenance landscaping
Install low flow water fixtures (toilets, faucets, cap off external
stain wooden floors dark instead of covering with carpet
sound-proof between units in MFUs in decrease turnover (possibly with dark carpets)
quality deadbolt with key, quality handle without (prevents lockouts and makes lock changes easy)
remove everything that can be clogged, hung on, broken, or injure a tenant (window blinds, ceiling fans, light fixtures with key chains, wall sconces, towel racks, glass doors, dishwashers, garbage disposals, gas stoves)
For #13, I’d be cautious about swinging the pendulum too far and removing items that you and I consider necessary in our own homes (window blinds, towel racks). If we don’t provide the basics, don’t be surprised if our tenants put their creativity and problem-solving to work (think Batman bedsheets in the windows and a pull-up bar screwed into the bathroom wall).
We always give our tenants at move in we give them a bug spray (if you see ants, spray. If you see them again, spray a 2nd, 3rd time-- if that doesn't work call me), and a thing of GREEN GOBLER. This stuff is amazing, and safe for toilets. I explain to people to do it overnight, and then boil water pour it down-- it works WONDERS. Also make sure to add hair catchers in the bathtubs, it's $5, but if it saves you from a plumbing call--it's worth it!
A few people also say that they leave them plungers. The more tools you can give the tenants the better, as they can fix it themselves first before needing to call you. In our lease it clearly says-- nothing other than TP, and if they cause a clog it's on them. Hope this helps!