You can screen your tenants till your blue in the face, but sometimes and or eventually, tenants leave, and sometimes not by choice. Then you find yourself looking at the potential damage, cleaning up, making repairs, spending time and money to prepare the rental home for the next tenant. Just part of the gig they say. So how can we mitigate these costs and our time? Here are some tips and steps you can take to help out with your time and the costs of cleaning and repairs.

Paint – I am not talking about repainting every time a tenant leaves, that’s the problem. I mean try using satin finished paint or gloss-high gloss paint. This paint option, because of the glossy, or reflective surface, will allow any person to wipe or scrub the wall clean, rather than repainting.

Keep Your Landscape Simple – Sorry but if it is a rental no need to up the curb appeal to much. Instead of flowers, try using shrubs and succulents. If you want color use small flower beds with drought-resistant plants. You can use rockscapes, mulch and other fillers instead of grass, or spend on artificial grass. Look for plants or trees that don’t require lots of water, such as pigmy palms, sago palms, silky thread grass and other desert types smaller plants and trees. Trust me when I say plant Thyme. It not only smells goods, in my opinion, but also yields a beautiful purple flower for color certain times of the year.

Carpet – Carpet is not the best for a rental. It gets stained, dirty, can contain lingering smells, especially from pets, needs cleaning and well, costs money when tenants leave. Instead of the cost of cleaning, and or worrying if the tenants are going to take care of the carpet, try opting for tile, laminate, vinyl, or any flooring which lasts longer and can take a beating. These flooring options are easier to clean and do last quite a while longer.

Keep an eye on Appliances – Having a home warranty can be beneficial, which can allow you to have annual maintenance to prevent damage. Also just make sure you are attentive to the tenant’s needs about appliances, rather than the tenants taking matters into their own hands to fix things.

Always take maintenance requests seriously so that any issue does not spiral out of control. Use a professional to ensure the job gets done right the first time. Small issues can lead to bigger issues if not dealt with property and immediately. Being a landlord can be a bit much for some, so they rely on property management companies like ours to help out and relieve their stress.

If you have any questions about this article or property management in Corona , property management in Temecula , property management in Riverside , or property management in the Inland Empire here in Southern California, give us a call. 951-520-0058