Getting another real estate property to add to your roster of rental properties is indeed a crucial, slow burn process.
Rental property maintenance that comes after that is just as equally handful for a lot of newbie landlords.
Join us as we go through our list of Rental Property Maintenance Checklist to find out:
- Conducting initial property inspection
Behind every successful real estate purchase is a thorough inspection of the prospected property.
And that is exactly why you should kickstart the process right!
No potential tenant would be pleased to discover damages inside, so you as the landlord should find them before they do.
More than a mandatory item in the Rental Property Maintenance Checklist, conducting a detailed inspection ensures safety of both you and the tenants.
Not only that — it also saves you the time and the trouble in the long run due to overlooked damages.
Personally, I find it most useful to math my notes with detailed pictures from my inspection. This makes the entire process easier for me, and it might work for you as well.
- Stay up to date with renovations.
It is always important to make sure that your rental properties are in the most pristine state.
Real estate properties will always need their renovations as tenants come and go.
You should keep your rental properties in the same clean environment that you would want to live in.
As much as you do, tenants are also heavily keen on properties which are well-maintained, newly renovated, and of course, up to date.
You can never go wrong with upgrading your interior and exterior to catch up on the latest design trends in order to attract valuable tenants.
Go get your hands busy on improving the overall appearance of your property and you are already all set to tick this item off of our Rental Checklist!
- Manage rodent and insects through pest control.
More often than not, the biggest assets of your real estate properties are being compromised by the smallest, unseen issues A.K.A. the creepy crawlies underground.
Now that is all the more reason for you to invest in pest control before anything else.
Being an essential part of general property maintenance, pest control is one of the many things you should do on a regular, preferably quarterly if not monthly.
Exterminating frequently may come at a small fee, but if you compare it to the profit loss due to vacancy as a result if you prefer otherwise, then it is worth the price.
- Check current plumbing condition.
Maintenance issues such as water leaks and plumbing damages are indeed an inevitable part of owning rental properties, but they can always, ALWAYS be prevented. During your initial inspection, it is important to find any of these plumbing issues right away.
This rental property maintenance checklist tells you how, specifically.
Personally, I make sure the sinks, toilet, and other plumbing features are clean and functioning quarterly, as well as pay attention to the water bill.
Always remember, just because you cannot hear or see the leak, does not mean that it is not there. I have plenty of experience with silent leaks.
Just keep in mind that a landlord should not forget to inspect for plumbing issues and do it early.
- Upgrade heating and electrical systems
General property maintenance never comes cheap, and heating and electrical systems are definitely not excluded.
However, properly maintaining these two would have great return in terms of client appeal and practicality.
We mean… who could resist a cozy, well-ventilated space?
To do so, a property owner or manager should be able to check the filters for unwanted plant growth as it may affect the circulation of air in the long run.
Electrical systems should also be checked frequently for any loose outlets or breakers in the electrical panel.
Next time you see air vents and outlets in your property, do not just check if they work — make sure they will not cause any trouble both for you and your future tenants.
- Ensure good air conditioning and ventilation.
The importance of having a fresh air in your property is something that we cannot put enough emphasis on.
Besides the fact that this standard quality alone can make or break your relationship with a potential client, not having fresh air in your property can damage the health of those who will live in your property.
That is why, having that checked once a year MUST be a part of your rental property maintenance checklist.
- Invest in a good set of detectors.
Have you checked if your property has essential detectors? These are Carbon Monoxide and smoke detectors. You want the smoke detectors that last 10 years. This is not the area of property maintenance that you do not want to be cheap on.
Mind you, having these detectors can help your potential renters feel much more secured in living in your property.
Which means, maintaining a good set of detector machines in your property can serve as a good advantage in attracting a new tenant.
Stay up to date on the state laws in your area regarding smoke detectors in your properties.
- Watch out for mildew buildup in shower caulking and tile grouts.
For most tenants, having a clean-looking bathroom/restroom is like a heaven here on earth.
The condition of your bathroom can really be a deciding factor whether your deal will be a big W or a heartbreaking L.
That is exactly the reason why landlords/owners SHOULD clean up any mildew build up and tile grouts in their comfort room often.
Keep the area well-ventilated with fans or open windows and allow the bathroom steam to go somewhere.
If you do that, then attracting new tenants will be a piece of cake for you.
- Make it a habit to ALWAYS do regular general cleaning.
Want to have a property looking like a 5-star hotel?
Admit it, we mean, who does not want a place looking like a kingdom right?
Well, we understand, your place is nowhere as big and as fancy as a palace.
Good news! You can still give it a little more appeal. And no, this will not require you to buy all that expensive stuff.
You just have to keep your place as clean as possible. Make sure to get those vacuums and other cleaning materials ready and ALWAYS make it a habit to check your general property maintenance.
For having a clean property will not only make it pleasing to the eye, but it will also help you attract your future renter.
- Take note to maintain good landscape appearance.
Imagine the scenario, you are going to take your potential tenant on a trip to your property,
And you are noticeably confident that you cleaned the insides of the property BUT as you are walking towards the property,
The outside of ABSOLUTELY CHAOTIC.
So always remember, cleaning up the inside of your house is just as important as keeping it well organized on the outside.
- Redo exterior painting if needed.
Have you ever visited a house where everything seems clean and well-maintained?
But you kind of felt like there is still something missing?
Like, there is still a part of the house that makes it feel “not-so-clean” looking, and it makes the house look so old.
Then you look at the house and you realize that the painting is poorly done.
That is the exact feeling that your potential will get if you do not redo the painting of the exterior of your property.
If you are to paint it, do not choose super bright colors. Instead, keep it simple and warm.
Best color suggestion would be light gray. Not only is it ageless, but it also makes your property look VERY inviting.
- Do not forget to maintain the roof condition as well.
The roof is probably one of the most important parts of ANY property, especially in houses.
But oftentimes, it is also the most overlooked.
Since it is an exterior feature, the roof is oftentimes the last thing being considered in general property maintenance.
Not only does it provide your tenants a much a safer environment, but it can also help you save a lot of cash for a great roof helps ventilate air, as it absorbs the heat and provides the whole part of the house a strong guard against any heating costs as well as ice dams in the winter.
Pro tip: always choose a lighter colored roof, for it can also save you a few bucks on air conditioning too.
- Cleaning the gutter is a MUST.
A well-maintained gutter helps the whole foundation of the property and the people that will live in it in ways that are so underappreciated.
We cannot blame the people, its main purpose is so simple, and that is to direct rainwater and snowmelt away from a structure.
But these small details actually save you A WHOLE LOT of money.
How, you ask?
A properly maintained gutter has a big factor in keeping the roof, the walls and even the whole foundation of the house from getting fragile due to heavy rainfall.
So next time you do a general property maintenance check, make sure to add cleaning and fixing gutters in your checklist.
- Secure the condition of the current windows and doors.
While it may be sentimental to keep the original windows and doors of your rental property, time begs to disagree.
Wearing out is definitely one of the toughest enemies in general property maintenance.
Not only that — it will also be a headache to the given budget as worn-out spaces tend to have more maintenance needs than one.
To avoid the hassle of spending more on repairs, it is practical to check up on the quality of your windows and doors and replace them as needed.
Handles, knobs and locks should also be not overlooked and be checked for any loosening.
Remember that both doors and windows are the ins and outs of your properties, so make sure that they are doing exactly that and not the other way around.
Do your research when selecting your windows and doors because some places will give you a discount for being a property management.
- Prioritize securing structural integrity.
Checking off all the details in our rental checklist would mean nothing if the main foundation of the property would be undermined — the structural integrity.
But it is not only you who bear this is mind, your future renters, too.
It is already imperative to guarantee that the building — the way it was built, located, and maintained — is in its prime condition.
To address this item in our rental property maintenance checklist, one should do both cautionary and maintenance repairs ahead of time.
This would safeguard, if not completely eliminate, both the tenants and the property from damages in times of emergency.
Keep in mind that your tenants’ safety is your liability — do not think twice about putting it on top of your rental checklist!
- Practice proper waste management.
If you think general property maintenance begins and ends within your space, you might want to change that as early as now.
Proper waste management should transcend the interior and exterior parts of your property, as it will potentially affect it from outside in.
Just like the other inclusions in our rental property maintenance checklist, proper waste management should be done routinely to avoid further accumulation.
Do not limit your Reduce, Reuse, recycle at the confines of your space; remember to expand outside for a more holistic maintenance.
- Do not hesitate to hire a property manager or someone to help you.
If all of the above-mentioned items overwhelmed you, do not fret because we have just the perfect solution to that —
Hire a property manager.
Property managers are here to do routine checkups and ongoing maintenance, so you do not have to.
We know what you think: hiring an effective, quality property manager further adds to the pile of expenses in the rental checklist but trust us when we say it is highly worth it.
Imagine all the precious time, energy, and effort you could save from excusing yourself from personally taking care of your real estate.
That is nothing compared to the couple of bucks you pay, right?
Note: Spending too much on the maintenance of your properties can also result in loss of potential profit, and sometimes, even bankruptcy.
To make sure that you are spending just the right amount of money in keeping your property well maintained, follow the 1% rule.
This mainly suggests that the budget you have for your monthly maintenance allowance should be one percent of the total value of your property (e.g., if your property costs $1,000,000, then your maintenance allowance will be $1,000 a month)