Tag Archives: Property maintenance

Stay In Your Property Before You Rent It Out

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If you’ve ever traveled and stayed in a hotel, vacation rental or corporate rental, it’s likely you’ve had at least one bad experience. It’s inevitable.

But do you want tenants staying in your property to have a memorable, bad experience? I have a feeling you don’t want that – not at all!

That’s why I have one tip for you: Stay In Your Property Before You Rent It Out!

Is everything neat and clean?

Is everything you need easy to find and within arm’s reach?

Do you have all the dishes and pots you need to prepare a decent meal?

What about basic spices (salt and pepper), a first aid kit, sponges, dish-washing soap, toilet paper, tissues, dish towels, extra pillows and linens, light bulbs, cleaning supplies, etc.?

Where you able to get a good night’s sleep?

Are there any issues you have with noisy neighbors, poor lighting, difficulties accessing an Internet connection, etc.?

All of these items will be brought to your attention by your tenant if you don’t deal with them upfront. If your place has noisy neighbors or is near a train line, mention it to your tenants and perhaps be courteous enough to leave clean ear plugs for them to use.

Many “issues” with your property you won’t discover until you stay in your corporate rental and live like a tenant would live.  Once you know of any issues or needed items, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to prevent a negative experience (and likely negative review) related to your property.

Oh, and another tip is to make sure you stay in your corporate rental at least once a year, if not more. You may not realize things are going awry between tenants.

5 Tips to Keeping Your Corporate Rental Tenants Happy

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Keeping corporate housing tenants happy

If you’ve been a corporate housing landlord for awhile now, you know that a happy tenant is priceless. They create a more positive experience, pay on time, create less work for you, take care of your home, leave nice reviews on your CHBO profile, and often become repeat clients down the road.

If you’re wondering how you can find – or create – these happy tenants, follow these five golden rules:

1. Aim for Long Term Renters: Skip nightly and weekly stays and rather opt for those interested in one-month or longer stays. Longer stays typically mean less turnover and therefore less work and stress for you and them.

2. Return Calls and Emails Promptly: Your tenants need to know you’re there for them 24/7. Don’t let more than a few hours pass by without returning a call or email from them. If you’re going to be out of town, make sure they have a back-up emergency contact.

3. Leave a Detailed Property Manual: Having a detailed property manual available to your tenants will help lessen the burden required by you. A property manual will empower your tenants to find everything they need to have a successful stay in your property from “how to use the remote control” or “how to work the thermostat” to “where do you keep the cleaning supplies” and “where to dispose of trash.”  Read our blog post on how to create a property manual that works!

4. Keep Your Property in Working Order: Always be sure to keep up with property maintenance and repairs. A broken sprinkler head can result in a dead lawn. A broken window can create water damage to your hardwood floors. Working toilets and clean baths are a must! Between tenant stays, make sure you conduct regular maintenance on the property – and always fix any tenant request promptly too.

5. Communicate Regularly: Make sure you’re checking in with your tenants regularly (twice a month), especially in the begining. You want them to feel welcome and at home and allowing them time to ask you questions goes a long way to building that positive and lasting relationship with them.

Remember, clients who feel they are well taken care of and feel good about renting from you will more likely write you a winning review, refer you to other potential tenants, and come back for more at a later date!

Are you doing everything you can to create a happy situation for you and your furnished rental tenant? Leave us a comment and give us some of your “happy tenant” tips!

What To Do If Your Landlord Refuses to Make Repairs

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It can be frustrating to live in a furnished rental property that is not properly attended to and maintained by the landlord. Last week we talked about both the landlord’s and renter’s responsibilities when it came to maintenance, repairs and damage to a rental property. This week, let’s talk about what you can do if you’ve notified your landlord of a required repair and they haven’t taken action or responded…

Provide Written Notice: While you may have called or emailed your homeowner to request repairs, the best course of action is to provide written notice via snail mail, preferably via certified letter they have to sign for and acknowledge receipt of.

landlord frustrations

Withhold Rent: Ideally, your rental contract will outline the landlord’s responsbility for making repairs in a timely fashion and the process that should be put forth if the repairs are not made. Some local laws allow for renters to withhold rent until repairs are made or permit renters to make repairs themselves and deduct those fees from their rental payment. Check with your local laws and always consult legal advice before going to this extreme.

Report Code Violations to Authorities: If you believe your landlord’s neglect of repairs put you and your rental property in violation of city or building codes, report them. The city will send out authorities to investigate and demand speedy repairs and create fines for the landlord who is found to be neglectful.

Take ‘Em to Court: If all else fails, consider taking your landlord to court. Small claims courts are equipped to handle and rule in these types of cases. Judge Judy, here you come!

Are Tenants Responsible for a Corporate Rental’s Maintenance?

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Both Tenants and Landlords Responsible for RepairsAs a tenant in a rental property, you may think you’re off the hook when it comes to taking care of or maintaining your rental property, after all, you don’t own it.  Chances are, however, you are dead wrong!

While a rental property’s owner is responsible for most maintenance issues, you have a responsibility, as a tenant, too.

Let’s talk about what the property owner and the property tenant are each responsible for:

Property Owner’s Responsibilities

The property owner is responsible for the property’s plumping, structural integrity, wiring, lighting, smoke detectors and ventilation. Further, a corporate housing landlord is responsible for keeping carpets, paint, wallpaper, etc. in working order after normal wear and tear.

Tenant’s Responsibilities

A rental property’s tenant is responsible for any and all damages they cause. If a pet leaves scratches on the couch or hardwood floors, the tenant is responsible to repair the damage, for example. Even if the dog belonged to your friend of the tenant’s, the tenant is still responsible for the damage. Further, the tenant is responsible for keeping the property clean while using it. Trash buildup and lack of cleaning can expose a property to pest infestation – and such neglect is the responsibility of the tenant to prevent and/or fix if it occurs on their watch.

One area of contention can come when the lines between wear and tear and considerable damage come into play. While a tenant is not responsible for wear and tear to something like the property’s carpets (that is the landlord’s responsibility), they are responsible for damage to the carpet if they caused wine or pet urine stains. It is then the tenant’s duty to restore the carpets to the condition they found them.

Protection

Both tenants and landlords have some protection available to them. A landlord might charge a significant upfront security deposit as an individual “insurance” policy in case of damages, or s/he may require the tenant to get Accidental Rental Damage Insurance, a low-cost and often preferred option.

How Storage Can Help Prepare Your Home for Corporate Rental

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How to prepare a corporate rental for a tenantCorporate housing has been experiencing serious growth in the past 20 years. In 2010 alone, corporate housing revenue was at an all-time high with 2.47 billion in revenue, beating out 2009’s record by almost a quarter billion. Clearly this industry has become a preferred alternative to the traditional hotel stay, and so for landlords it is important to make sure that your property has exactly what the tenant is looking for.

Being that it is corporate housing, that of course means that the place is going to be furnished. However, just because you are allowed to have stuff there does not mean that is an invitation for you to store all of your useless belongings. There are things that the tenant does want in their home, but there are also things that they do not. For example, no tenant wants to see their landlords junk and clutter taking up space in their newly rented home, they just want the basics – a couch, bed, dishes, linens etc., — not three coffee pots and a an extra mattress lying around.

Renting a storage unit is the perfect solution to de-cluttering a personal residence and turning it into a fabulously furnished rental. Sometimes you are just in need of some extra space, but allowing your tenants to suffer because you decided to put extra stuff in their home is not a good idea. With self-storage, you can keep all the things that you don’t use every day out of the way until you find an appropriate place for them.

Once you have decided to de-clutter your property, you must draw the line between what is essential and what is not. Below are a few tips that should help you out.

  • Start with duplicates. If you have two (or three, or four) of something, first consider donating it. If, for whatever reason, you think you will need those extras, keep one in the rental and put the rest into your storage unit.
  • This should go without saying but if you have more than one of something and only one works, throw the broken ones away. Be honest with yourself, are you ever really going to get around to fixing it? Didn’t think so.
  • Perform the dust test: Anything that’s got a thick layer of dust on it is probably something that can go into storage without the risk of being missed.

After you know what you plan on keeping, be sure to pack the things you are storing logically, don’t just throw everything into a box. By packing things in an organized manner and labeling boxes, you’ll make it much easier to find something.

Using the convenience offered by self-storage can really help keep your corporate home organized. When you get a new tenant, that last thing you want is for them to have an unsatisfactory experience. Instead, try putting your unused items in cheap storage units that not only help cut down on the visual chaos of a messy house, but also give you an opportunity to take a mental break from unnecessary stress.

This article was written by Matt Schexnayder. Matt is on the SpareFoot marketing team and writes for the SpareFoot blog. SpareFoot is the largest online marketplace for self-storage with more than 5,000 self-storage facilities listed nationwide.

This article was contributed by Sparefoot. By publishing this article, CHBO does not make any endorsement or recommendation of the products or services promoted in this article.

Cheap Makeovers that Boost the Value of Your Rental Property or Home

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When you’re ready to put your home on the market, you don’t want to have to sink thousands of dollars into upgrades and remodeling projects. The best time for those kinds of changes are while you’re living in the home anyways, and you can take advantage of those upgrades for at least a little while.

When it comes time to sell, it’s all about making the home marketable and valuable in the eyes of prospective buyers. Fortunately, there are some relatively easy and inexpensive techniques you can use to boost your home’s value:

Unclutter your home. This is the first and most important element in a cheap home makeover. You need to go into every room and every nook and cranny. Clear off your dressers, empty your cabinets, and clear out the pantry. Remove any large furniture that’s too big for the room. Get rid of stuff you don’t need. Throw away trash. Keep the things that you do need, but consider putting some of it into storage if you’re trying to sell your home. You can retrieve all of that stuff when it’s time to move, but the people viewing your home aren’t interested in seeing it.

Put on a fresh coat of paint. There is some debate about the impact a fresh coat of paint has on a home’s interior. After all, it’s possible that the new owners will want to repaint anyways. Still, a fresh coat of paint throughout the home using room-brightening colors will help to create a clean slate. You want those people who are thinking about buying to be able to visualize the home how they want it, and neutral colors help to do that.

If it’s broken, fix it. This can get on the expensive side, of course. However, we’re not talking about broken appliances (just throw those away and don’t replace them). We’re thinking more like blemishes to the carpet, nicks in the wall, or that spot on the kitchen table where your daughter spilled nail polish remover. You’ll want to fix any small item that is visibly broken or that is obviously in need of repair.

Replace your window treatments. If you currently have window treatments that are out of date or that only serve to darken a room, it’s time to replace them. Home buyers (and home residents) love to walk into a bright room. Not only will it boost the value of your home, it will help to improve both mood and mental acuity while you’re living there.

Replace cabinet doors and/or knobs. One of the quickest and easiest ways to make a kitchen look better is by updating your cabinets. For usually less than $50, you can replace all of the knobs on your kitchen cabinets with new ones that are more current in terms of style, and that look bright and shiny. You might consider replacing or repainting your cabinets, or even just your doors (although that’s obviously stepping into a more expensive arena).

Make it smell good. There are two aspects to this: Get rid of any lingering smells in the house and create new ones. The former is harder than the latter, at times. If you have pets, think seriously about boarding them (with a friend) until the house sells. Make sure you use carpet cleaners designed to get rid of pet smells, and that the pet hair is off all of the furniture. Check for moldy smells around drains and fixtures, and treat them, as well. To make it smell good, add fresh flowers, install some air fresheners, and even consider baking a batch of fresh cookies when you’re having an open house.
Power-wash your exterior. If the exterior of your house is still in good repair, there’s not necessarily a compelling reason to paint it. In many cases, a simple power washing will do. If you don’t have a power washer, you may be able to borrow one from the local appliance rental business. A couple of hours of power washing can really make the exterior of the home sparkle, and greatly increase your curb appeal.

Getting your home ready to sell doesn’t have to be expensive. Simple and quick activities like these have been proven to increase your home’s selling price, and to help it sell faster. If you want to get as much as possible out of your home, consider implementing these cheap home makeovers today.

Editor Note: These tips can easily be applied to getting your home ready for renters and tenants.

About the Author:
Nick Simpson is Social Media Coordinator at Blindsgalore, a leading provider ofbamboo shades and faux wood blinds. In addition to their standard product lines, Blindsgalore carries a number of additional lines, including elegant natural wood blinds.

This article was contributed by Blindsgalore. By publishing this article, CHBO does not make any endorsement or recommendation of the products or services promoted in this article.

Simple Ways to Make Your Corporate Rental Property Green

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Make your corporate housing rental property green

Greening your furnished rental property doesn’t have to be time-consuming. That’s why this first post-Earth Day post we decided to share some very simple ways to add some eco-friendly touches to your property.

  1. Stock property with recycled paper goods such as recycled toilet paper, paper towels and tissues.
  2. Leave bio-degradable and non-toxic agents inside your furnished corporate rental home. This way your guests are encouraged to clean with green products and you know the property is getting cleaned using safe and healthy cleaning products.
  3. Change your lightbulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs to reduce the energy use in your corporate rental.
  4. Leave recycle bins and information about recycling in your property so your guests can easily recycle items.
  5. Use a digital thermostats in your rental unit so you can program the heat to stay low when you’re not there using it. Leave suggested temperatures and instructions for your tenants to follow.
  6. When needed, slowly replace your appliances with energy efficient models.

Tip! On your CHBO property listing, mention that your property has many “eco-friendly” features. Tenants will notice!