Whether you are a first-time landlord or have a bigger lettings portfolio, it is important to be prepared when welcoming new tenants into your rental property.
This proactive approach not only safeguards the tenant’s health and safety and may prevent future maintenance issues, but it also ensures your tenant has a good experience living in your property, helping you with potential leases in the future.
Here are five things to consider when preparing your rental property for a new tenant.
- Make Sure Your Property is Safe
First and foremost, have your locks changed as soon as your previous tenant leaves the property for the last time. Even if you have retrieved all the keys from your tenant, they may have made copies that you are unaware of. Make new keys for yourself, and each of your tenants to prevent unwanted access to your property. This will ensure the safety of your tenants and your property.
- Carry Out Any Repairs
Take the opportunity to properly check your property while it is unoccupied and rectify any major issues. You should inspect all possible problems for things like damaged roofs, cracked gutters, leaky taps, or damaged electricals. Landlords have a responsibility to carry out any necessary repairs, so improving these issues before your tenant moves in is important.
- Depersonalise Décor
It’s important to depersonalise your property when welcoming tenants, as bright colours and patterned wallpaper are not to everyone’s taste. Paint your property a neutral colour with high-durability paint that will stand the test of time and opt for darker carpets that won’t show dirt or stains.
- Deep Clean
Making sure your property is completely clean before your tenants move in is essential. It not only gives your tenants a better environment to live in, but also avoids any disputes at the beginning of the tenancy. Cleaning the carpets is critical as it not only removes stains and odours, but it also removes dust mites, pet hair, and other pollutants. This is particularly important if your renter has allergies.
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