CategoriesLong Term Rentals

Most landlords would agree that the most aggravating aspect of being a real estate investor is tenant damage.  It is also one of the reasons most of us fear turnovers (preparing the unit for the next tenant).  Especially we have a gut feeling about the the unit condition.

I was listening to a real estate podcast a few months ago and the investor being interviewed mentioned he was attempting to develop a formula for “tenant-proofing” his rentals.  The idea is of intriguing.  He was quick to clarify that “tenant-proofing” did not mean making the unit (or an aspect of it) invulnerable to tenant damage. It was more about making a unit tenant-resistant as a more achievable goal.  My brain started going a flutter with the possibilities.  

After a few months of research and now implementation into my last vacancy I believe there are ways we can make our units tenant-resistant.  Part of it is due to better technology for flooring, blinds, etc.  Others are going back to the way things were “back in the good ole” days.  Yet some are simply thinking outside of the box for rentals.

Hollow Core Doors v. Other Doors

As landlords we do look at the price tags of items we buy for our rentals. It’s how we keep within a budget that makes our units cash flow.  Doors are not inexpensive especially when we may have to include staining or painting them in addition to simply buying it.  There are typically 3 kinds of interior doors to choose: hollow (least expensive), foam core (moderate price tag), and solid core door (most expensive).  The difference between a hollow door and the foam core door is like the difference between an spoiled apple and and ripe apple. The spoiled apple (hollow core door) easily gets dinged and punctured where as the ripe apple (the foam core door) can withstand a more pressure.  A solid core door would be the most durable option but I’ve been told the difference between foam core and solid core is not enough to justify the price tag.  There is usually a $15-$20 price difference between hollow to foam, then a $30-$50 jump from foam to solid.

Backsplash The Kitchen

One of my favorite things to do is to add a backsplash that runs the entire height of the wall space between kitchen counter and the bottom of the upper cabinets.  Its add dimension to the kitchen and also prevents wear and tear on a very tricky area to paint.  (It is the most annoying part to paint in my opinion.)  A backsplash can be individual tile and grout, a premade sheet of smaller tiles, or decorative tin or metal pieces.   The great part is that with the exception of tile and grout, the other options can easily be DIY.  

Get Rid Of Carpet

If you are still putting carpet in your rentals it is also one of the biggest ways you are inviting tenant damage and wear and tear.   Laminate flooring technology has increased greatly in the past 5 years so if you haven’t evaluated it lately at trip to your home improvement store is in order.  Now this isn’t to say laminate is foolproof.  You will want to be sure installation is done properly to avoid gaps.  It needs to be snug and tight.  If you rip up your carpet and find old hardwood flooring.  It may be salvageable.  You can rent an industrial floor sander for fairly inexpensive and cut your time and backbreaking work in half.  Best part is if you are a fan of golden tones you may not have to stain the floor. Poly brings out a warm golden hue in most wood floors.  Be sure lay down at least 3 coats poly.  After All, this is a tenant who will be living there and not you.  

Hinge Doorstops

For starters, if you aren’t making sure every door has door stop then that is an easy way to make your rental slightly more tenant resistant.  Yet baseboard door stops can easily get damaged.  Pets love to play with the baseboard door stops. Funny Fidos make it their mission in life to remove the nub (because its an awesome toy!).  Once the nub is gone your door stop is just a metal rod.   I like using hinge door stops lately.  I find that in combination with my foam core doors I barely have any door or wall damage from the opening of the door.  The nubs are also way to high for Fido turn into a toy.  

Heavy Duty Chair Rail Paint

As avid blog readers would know, all of my rentals that I own are old homes…I mean OLD.  So many of my units have items like chair rails, half wall paneling, and other wood details and accents not found in more modern rentals.  Needless to say these chair rails and paneling can take a beating.  I  took a suggestion from my handywoman and painted the chair rail and wall paneling with the epoxy shield-coating meant for basement floors.  Three months in it’s held up well where as with normal paint I would have had at least a half a dozen chips by now.  I won’t pretend it was easy to apply but the extra durability is proven to be worth it.

 

 

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