Today we are talking about the move in process and how to prepare your rental for tenants. There are two ways to approach this; you can take the bare bones approach or make the property as nice as possible. Focusing on how to ensure the property is given to the tenant in a clean and habitable state so you can manage the property effectively. As a result, at the end of the term it will make it easier to handle the security deposit return process.
Move In Process:
The first thing we do is to change the locks and garage door openers at the house. This is part of Florida law and it removes liability regarding other people having access to the property. We also snake the drains and the toilets. You may wonder why we do that since it’s a tenant responsibility to maintain clean drains. However, we’ve found that it’s easier to enforce tenant charges if we can point to a time and date when the drains were cleaned before the tenant moved in. If a tenant has a problem with the drains getting clogged, we can point out to the tenant that we cleaned out the drains before they moved in. It might look like an expense in the beginning, but it’s designed to save you money moving forward.
Handing Over the Property:
Hand the property over in a clean state. Having the entire place professionally cleaned, as well as the carpets cleaned. You want to have the paint touched up so there aren’t any marks on the walls. Deliver a property to the tenant in great condition. When you do that, you can have the expectation that you’ll get the property back in the same excellent condition. Then, it’s easier to make charges on a security deposit. You need the documentation that shows the tenants signed off on a condition report that showed a clean, habitable house. When you can see a clear distinction between how the property was received and how it was returned, you won’t have any disputes.
Investing some money up at the front of the tenancy is a good idea. It will pay dividends at the end of the tenant experience. If you have any questions about what you need to do to get your property ready for the tenants, please contact us at Gulf Coast Property Management. We would be glad to tell you more.
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