There’s no doubt that move ins and move outs can be one of the most frustrating experiences for any owner because there are so many details for the owner to handle. Thankfully, the process of tenant move ins or move outs only gets easier especially these tips are followed:
Before A New Tenant Moves In
Document The Condition Of The Property:
One of the very best things you can do as a landlord is to prepare for new tenants in advance by taking pictures and video of your rental property before they move in.
Doing this will give you the ability to asses the state that your rental property has been left and provide you visual evidence if your tenant disputes how much of their security deposit was used for cleaning and or repairs after they moved out.
Don’t Neglect Proper Screening:
Yes, you may be in a hurry to rent your Portland Oregon Rental Property to a new tenant but that urgency shouldn’t stop you from neglecting your tenant screening best practices which should include: a thorough background check, credit check and calling a potential tenants references.
Tell A New Tenant What You Expect From Them
After you’ve done your “due diligence” to screen and find the right tenant, another important thing you want to do is tell your tenant what’s expected of them. This means “laying down the law” and telling them what they can do and can’t do in the rental property, when rent is due, when it’s late, pets, lawn care, maintenance and lease termination.
Make Sure They Know How To Handle Emergencies
Another important thing to do before a new tenant moves in is to brief them on how you expect them to handle emergencies at the rental property and what you classify as an emergency. This step is important because you want to make sure that your tenant knows what to do and how to handle an emergency rather than letting a potential problem be left unchecked.
After Your Tenant Moves Out
1. Conduct market research
As soon as your current tenant gives notice, you should be researching. This is essential if the tenant has occupied the property for an extended amount of time. On some occasions, you may find yourself in the best possible scenario where the neighborhood has become more desirable over time, perhaps experiencing economic development or a resurgence of some kind. On the other side of the spectrum, if market rents have declined, consider a decrease in rent a small price to pay to have your property not sit vacant in turnover season.
2. Do a walk-through
When your tenant has vacated the unit, do an immediate walk-through scrutinizing the property. It’s easy to spot the big problems. Are the walls damaged? Is anything broken? Has the carpet been cleaned? How are the appliances functioning? Once you know what needs to be done, get people in there and on task as quickly as possible. Anything from serious repairs and replacement to the cosmetic stuff such as painting should be done now. Promptly after, the cleaning crew should come in and go over the unit. Any mess from repairs to window cleaning should be a priority. The home should sparkle when they’re done.
Don’t forget to change the locks! Many technologies allow you to re-key the locks yourself, without having to call a locksmith. An investment like this can save you tons of money in the long run.
3. Research the competition
Now that your unit is sparkling clean and looking its absolute best, you may be tempted to list right away, but acting too hastily at this point can be a mistake. You should take a little time and do some research into the comparable listings in the area. What do the pictures look like? What information is highlighted?
4. Market your properties
When you’re sure that everything is the best it can be, it’s time to take pictures. More often than not, a newer smart phone will do a good job taking quality listing photos. Don’t forget the video! In this era of digital photo retouching, younger renters may find video more appealing and more honest than photos alone. Plus, it can help people visualize the layout of the space. If you can, it is always a nice touch to include a floor plan in your ad.
If you’ve done everything right, at this point you should be thinking lease agreements, credit checks and rent payments. Hopefully you have an amazing tenant in mind and you won’t have to think about turnover season for at least another year.
Get Property Management In Portland Oregon
To save the time, money and hassle of tenant move ins and move outs you should consider hiring a professional property management company.
Learn more about the property management services that we can offer you by contacting Property Management Systems today at (503) 515-3170 or click here to connect with us online.
