Prep a Vacant Rental in 5 Steps
When a tenant moves out of a rental unit you, as the landlord, need to prepare your empty rental for your next tenant. Here are the 5 steps you need to make sure your empty apartment is move-in ready in no time.
1. General Cleaning - This should take place as soon as the previous tenant moves out. Now is the time to evaluate the amount of work needed to prepare your vacant. Take out any items and trash left behind by your former tenant and make sure to check any storage or garage spaces too.
2. Maintenance - If your former tenant left your rental in good condition most of your repairs will be minor. Some common repairs include replacing light bulbs, tightening door handles and hanging doors that have come off the track.
While addressing maintenance issues, be sure to inspect all plumbing fixtures and electrical components of the rental. Look for leaky faucets, running toilets, or clogged drains. Make sure the circuit breaker is working properly and all fuses are in place.
Appliances need to be checked to make sure they are working properly. It's also the time for preventative maintenance; change air filters, hire pest control, and clean out the fireplace if your unit has one.
3. Painting - After fixing any item that needs to be addressed in your vacant rental unit, it's time to paint. Usually you will only need one coat of high-quality white paint, unless you need to change the color from something darker. Prep work will make the job a lot easier. Remove any nails, screws, picture hangers or tape. Fill all holes with putty and sand before painting.
4. Final Cleaning - When the walls have dried, final cleaning should begin. Clean up any maintenance or painting messes left behind. Wipe all surfaces down and vacuum the floors. Pay close attention to the kitchen and bathrooms because remember, clean sells!
5. Flooring - Your last step is to address the floors in your rental. If you have wood or linoleum flooring you can do this step as part of the final cleaning. Otherwise, carpet that is still in good condition should be cleaned by professionals. If the carpet is dated, worn or damaged, it would be best to have it replaced.
These 5 steps make up the most efficient way to prep your vacant units for new renters. Remember, professionals can be brought in at any stage to help with this process if you do not have the time to do it yourself or are not very handy. With a little elbow grease, you are ready for your new tenant to move in. Here's to hoping they are good renters that will stay for long time.
1. General Cleaning - This should take place as soon as the previous tenant moves out. Now is the time to evaluate the amount of work needed to prepare your vacant. Take out any items and trash left behind by your former tenant and make sure to check any storage or garage spaces too.
2. Maintenance - If your former tenant left your rental in good condition most of your repairs will be minor. Some common repairs include replacing light bulbs, tightening door handles and hanging doors that have come off the track.
While addressing maintenance issues, be sure to inspect all plumbing fixtures and electrical components of the rental. Look for leaky faucets, running toilets, or clogged drains. Make sure the circuit breaker is working properly and all fuses are in place.
Appliances need to be checked to make sure they are working properly. It's also the time for preventative maintenance; change air filters, hire pest control, and clean out the fireplace if your unit has one.
3. Painting - After fixing any item that needs to be addressed in your vacant rental unit, it's time to paint. Usually you will only need one coat of high-quality white paint, unless you need to change the color from something darker. Prep work will make the job a lot easier. Remove any nails, screws, picture hangers or tape. Fill all holes with putty and sand before painting.
4. Final Cleaning - When the walls have dried, final cleaning should begin. Clean up any maintenance or painting messes left behind. Wipe all surfaces down and vacuum the floors. Pay close attention to the kitchen and bathrooms because remember, clean sells!
5. Flooring - Your last step is to address the floors in your rental. If you have wood or linoleum flooring you can do this step as part of the final cleaning. Otherwise, carpet that is still in good condition should be cleaned by professionals. If the carpet is dated, worn or damaged, it would be best to have it replaced.
These 5 steps make up the most efficient way to prep your vacant units for new renters. Remember, professionals can be brought in at any stage to help with this process if you do not have the time to do it yourself or are not very handy. With a little elbow grease, you are ready for your new tenant to move in. Here's to hoping they are good renters that will stay for long time.
Comments