Being a landlord comes with plenty of benefits to take advantage of that tend to make the endeavor worthwhile, such as the opportunity to earn various tax deductions for things like depreciation. But along with the advantages also come responsibilities like paying for repairs and handling tenant complaints. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to protect your rental home, save yourself some money on maintenance and repairs, and avoid unnecessary expenses. Try one or more of the following ideas:
Address the Garage Door
The garage will likely be used at least twice a day as tenants leave the residence and return. Even if tenants choose to use the garage for something other than vehicle storage, there is a good chance that they'll want regular access to the space for things like storage and hobby practices. If the home's garage door does not function properly in any way, if its springs are rusted, or if holes and cracks are spotted in its frame or base, the result can mean costly cleaning and repair bills between tenants due to issues like mold and mildew damage.
You can protect your home from unnecessary damage and the need for extra maintenance, as well as ensure convenience and safety for your tenants, by having the garage door professionally inspected and repaired by a service company, such as Overhead Door Of Akron, before putting your home on the rental market. In addition to a complete garage door inspection, it's important to make sure that your service provider does the following:
- Replace all the springs in the door.
- Tighten the door's hardware, especially if rusted.
- Inspect the rollers and replace them if necessary.
- Replace all of the weatherstripping.
- Lubricate each moving part and accessory.
If your rental home's garage door opener does not have the capability of detecting objects underneath it and automatically shutting down, have your technician install one that can do so. This will ensure that the door doesn't accidentally close on kids, animals, bikes, and other objects that might accidentally be in the way while tenants are living there.
Improve the Doors and Windows
Dressing your rental home's windows up will help to give your home a newer look and feel, which may give you an edge on the competition and protect your home from unnecessary wear and tear. One great way to give the windows a new look is to install tinted insulation window film on them. Insulation window film comes in a variety of colors, shades, and designs, making it possible to turn your windows into pictures of stained glass art if you prefer.
More importantly, insulation window film will reduce monthly energy costs for your tenants and reduce wear and tear on the home's HVAC system, so there should be little need for repairs as time goes on. Insulation film for windows will also protect your home's interior flooring and walls by preventing up to 95 percent of the sun's harmful UV rays from penetrating through the windows.
It's possible to reduce energy costs for your tenants even more as well as protect your rental home from mold damage by replacing each window's curtains or blinds with some cellular shades instead. Even cellular shades in the lower price range offer optimal insulation performance – and they are easy to take care of, which will help ensure that they stay in good shape through several tenant residencies before they need to be replaced. Like insulation window film, cellular shades make it easy to naturally maintain comfortable indoor temperatures so the air conditioner and heater don't have to be used as often.
These methods and techniques should be easy to implement and are sure to quickly attract tenants, which will optimize your profits.
