One of the keys to success with being a landlord in Portland Oregon, or elsewhere in the United states, is effectively handling move-ins and move-outs at your rental Property.
Sadly, many owners manage this process incorrectly and are left with tons of problems especially when they need to take more of their tenants deposit to repair damages that they made to the rental property.
To avoid problems with move-ins and move-outs in the future, this article will provide you with tips for navigating this process.
How To Effectively Handle Move-Ins
On the day that your tenant has scheduled to move into your Portland Oregon Rental Property you should be there to greet the tenant and do a complete walk through of the rental.
During this walk through you should be taking pictures and video of the condition of each room in your rental property and once the walk through is done your tenant should sign off on the fact that the rental was clean and in excellent condition at the time of their move in.
Getting your tenants to sign off on the condition of the rental property before they move in will effectively help you to protect yourself should your tenant fail to leave the rental in the same condition when they move out.
What To Do When A 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 property online
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.
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For professional Portland Oregon Property Management contact Property Management Systems today by calling us at (503) 515-3170 or click here to connect with us online.
