Do you provide new shower curtains for your rentals?

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Do you provide new shower curtains for your rentals?

Joe S.Pro Member

Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes

Do you provide new shower curtains for your rentals During the make ready for a new tenant?

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Bill F.

Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes

Yes, when we turn units we take down the old shower curtain and replace it with a new one. They are $5 at Wal-Mart for the plastic ones.

I think it goes miles to building goodwill with a new tenant. Imagine moving in to a new place, sweating your a** hauling things and at the end of a long day you want to take a shower and there isn't a curtain so you either have to run out and get one or dig through your stuff to find it. I don't think that starts the landlord/tenant relationship off on the right foot.

Now if they want to have their own decorative one that hangs out the outside, that's on them.

I'd like to be treated that way so I treat my tenants that way. We also leave a full roll of toilet paper in each bathroom for the same reason.

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Adam Martin
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4y
Nope that is a personal decision and something the tenant is responsible for. Same with curtains I provide blinds but often people want to coordinate both of these things with their decorations.
8 Reply
Evan Polaski
Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y
@Joe S., no. Anything you provide, you are also responsible to replace/fix.
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Joe S.Pro Member
OP
Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y
@Evan Polaski

@Adam Martin
So you take any pre-existing shower curtains down ahead of time?
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Bill F.
Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y
Yes, when we turn units we take down the old shower curtain and replace it with a new one. They are $5 at Wal-Mart for the plastic ones.

I think it goes miles to building goodwill with a new tenant. Imagine moving in to a new place, sweating your a** hauling things and at the end of a long day you want to take a shower and there isn't a curtain so you either have to run out and get one or dig through your stuff to find it. I don't think that starts the landlord/tenant relationship off on the right foot.

Now if they want to have their own decorative one that hangs out the outside, that's on them.

I'd like to be treated that way so I treat my tenants that way. We also leave a full roll of toilet paper in each bathroom for the same reason.
28 Reply
Scott M.
Real Estate Broker · Rochester Hills, MI · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Never. Old one is removed during tenant turn and tossed. New one is supplied by the new tenant that fits their taste. The rod stays but the curtain doesn't and a new one isn't provided.
6 Reply
Wale LawalBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Hi @Joe S., Landlord’s are not required to by law, however if you have experience in the business you realize providing a shower curtains is a good thing, then you may do so.
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Joe S.Pro Member
OP
Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y
Originally posted by @Wale Lawal:
Hi @Joe S., Landlord’s are not required to by law, however if you have experience in the business you realize providing a shower curtains is a good thing, then you may do so.

So do you provide a fresh shower curtain?
1 Reply
Bernard B.
Investor · Huntsville, AL · Member since 2012 · 50 posts · 50 votes
4y
Absolutely, I definitely provide a shower curtain ( albeit a cheap one). As mentioned in the above post, it is a nice, courteous , thing to do for a new tenant. You also have to realize that not all tenants will try to keep water damage off of your bathroom floor. If they have a shower curtain, at least you pointed them in the right direction to use it.
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Chris SvendsenPro Member
Front Royal, VA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 240 votes
4y
Yes. We make units like new. We get quality tenants, low issues, and higher rents by making units look good. My budy doesn't do anything for people, repairs bare minimum, has higher turn over and repairs and tenants that trash units. I fully believe in a quality product attracts quality tenants and worth the few bucks a shower curtain cost.
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Joe S.Pro Member
OP
Investor · San Antonio · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
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@Bernard B.

@Bill F.

@Chris Svendsen

Where do y’all buy your shower curtains from? Do you mainly just get the less expensive ones That’s clear plastic ones?

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Chris SvendsenPro Member
Front Royal, VA · Member since 2016 · 306 posts · 240 votes
4y
Usually buying all my stuff at once at lowes or home depot to get money off with coupons and card. Walmart a good place to. Nothing fancy, just something nice, simple and clean. We also leave them a role of paper towels, pack of toilet paper, dish shop, hand soap, and a new plunger. Just things to make first night easier for them. Oh and a pack of furnace filters and direction on when to change them.
4 Reply
Bernard B.
Investor · Huntsville, AL · Member since 2012 · 50 posts · 50 votes
4y
@Joe S. ,
About 2 years ago, I purchased a large pack of them( different colors, white, blue, green, gray) from Amazon.com. I purchased about 25 of them, and the average cost was about 1 dollar per curtain. I also use these to cover the windows when the house is vacant ( instead of new blinds each time), to keep people from looking into the house, and to give the new tenants some privacy when they are moving their stuff into the house.
5 Reply
John Teachout
Rental Property Investor · Concord, GA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y
We have discovered that almost every tenant changes the existing shower curtains. We always install one but it is literally from the dollar store. So it's a "starter" so they don't hose down the bathroom but we expect they would replace it with their own.
5 Reply
Que Tran
Real Estate Agent · Scranton PA · Member since 2019 · 93 posts · 98 votes
4y
I would say generally no. But on a really high end rental, I would provide a really nice white liner, so it shows well, or to prevent someone from using really cheap ones, that let water out on to the floor.
3 Reply
Matthew Olszak
Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Nope. Class C rentals across the board - no curtain, no rod. And frankly if the mounts didn't need to be drilled in, I'd say the same for blinds as well.
3 Reply
Mike MalyyPro Member
Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2019 · 44 posts · 38 votes
4y
I typically stop by a dollar tree and put together a small welcome package for $10. As Chris above mentioned, I get shower curtain, toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, body wash/shampoo, and a welcome greeting card. After a day of moving, it’s nice to be able to take a shower or use a toilet without digging through your boxes or driving to the store. It’s a cheap way to start the relationship on the right foot.
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Chris Prichard
Real Estate Agent · Birmingham, AL · Member since 2016 · 38 posts · 34 votes
4y
No. But I do provide 3 furnace filters every quarter and send a reminder to change them when they pay the rent each month. It wouldn't be a bad idea to purchase an uber cheap plastic clear shower curtain to get them started. I like the idea of the welcome package. May try that with my next two turnovers coming up.

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Melody DawsonPro Member
Investor · Concord, NC · Member since 2020 · 24 posts · 15 votes
4y
I don't supply the shower curtain but on my most recent rental I supplied 3 of each size of air filter plus a copy of the trash / recycling days, and HOA rules.
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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
4y
Most of the time the previous tenant will take them or change them out. You can get an inexpensive one along with hangers.
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JD MartinBusiness Member
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Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
4y
We provide a fresh shower liner (not curtain, there's a difference) and require that the outgoing tenant leave a new shower liner behind unless they can make the existing one spotless. No one ever does/can, so they get tossed and a new one gets left in the unit. We charge the new liner against the deposit unless the tenant has left a new one. Most tenants will leave a new $1-2 liner from the dollar store, which is fine by us. We also make sure a new HVAC filter has been left behind or we will do the same. We require 2 new filters at the house - one fresh one that can be installed immediately, that we usually install, and one brand new one under the sink or similar for replacing the existing, so they can bring the existing one as a template to buy new ones.
In general, most of the time we are replacing the filters and the shower liners are about 50/50.
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2 Reply
Logan Krutsch
Member since 2019 · 16 posts · 16 votes
4y
@Joe S.
Yes, I used to not supply them but I had tenants not use a curtain at all and ruin my bathrooms and downstairs ceilings. They are cheap and then I can guarantee that water is mostly contained. That being said I’ve been converting to shower doors to contain water even better and drive rents higher. Cheers!
2 Reply
Mary Smith
Rental Property Investor · Member since 2021 · 385 posts · 197 votes
4y
We do not provide new shower curtains for our rentals. We've noticed that tenants usually like to buy one that fits their aesthetic, so it's not worth the effort.
3 Reply
Jim K.
Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
4y
We provide a cheap shower curtain that costs somewhere around four bucks with the heavy-duty shower liner that's currently 13 bucks at Big Lots. We make a point of taking our marketing pictures with these in place. We also provide curved shower rods whenever possible and at least headshower-handshower combos. I have shower towers with water jets in place in some of my rentals and external bar shower systems in others. I have $800/month rentals with oversized tubs and $900 Grohe Euphoria shower systems in them.
I think most landlords completely underestimate how much goodwill a nice shower well above a rental's price point buys them for the money spent, especially down in C-class where most setups are utterly bare bones, cramped, and seemingly purposely designed to be uncomfortable. I also rent mostly to people in health care. They tend to pay attention to things like this.
I also believe that with my current business model, the fact that I do all my own maintenance means that I can provide something many others struggle with. It's an unsubtle chance to differentiate my portfolio and my product. Taking advantage of these opportunities to shine is what keeps turnover down and the quality tenants I want in place in my properties over the long haul.
6 Reply
Michael Lewicki
Specialist · New York, NY · Member since 2021 · 24 posts · 9 votes
4y
@Bill F.
Definitely agree with you, $5 shower curtains won’t hurt your pocket and starts the relationship on the right foot
2 Reply
Dawn P.
Rental Property Investor · Sumter, SC · Member since 2015 · 334 posts · 531 votes
4y
@Joe S. Yes, I always put a fresh liner up on a turnover, they can add a curtain to the rod if they want later but at least the shower is ready to use when they move in. I leave a roll of tp and paper towels too.
I always get these, I have the same one in my own bathroom and like it: Waterproof Shower Liner
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