A helpful guide from Blue Door Residential Property Management & The Norman Home Team of Keller Williams Gateway
Finding a great tenant after screening is only the first step in filling your vacancy. Here’s a quick checklist to help get your property ready for the tenant’s move-in period.
1. Check For Health and Safety Issues
Check that the HVAC and heating systems are in full working order. Ensure the radiators or furnace are producing heat and if there is a heat pump that it is working properly to ensure no issues in the winter.
Look for any signs of areas that could be hazardous to tenants or guests. Check railing to ensure they are secure. Check outlets to ensure they aren’t tripping the breaker box or smoking. Replace or repair carpet that is not securely fitted to the floor. Replace or repair any wooden floorboards that are buckling, warping or bending in a way that could cause someone to trip.
Check for leaks and signs of mold by looking under sinks and checking around pipes that lead to the basement. Mold and water left unchecked can be costly to fix down the road.
Test all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly and are up to code per your cities rental regulations.
Document the condition of the house prior to the tenant’s move in! Take lots of pictures or a walk through video. Complete a Pre-Move In Inspection Checklist and have the tenant sign off on it - this will prevent any questions about pre-existing conditions upon move out.
Many cities require a lead certification to be done if the property was built before 1978 or some require all rentals to have this. Getting a test is easy to identify if there is lead paint. If the inspector finds chipping and peeling paint, this can be cleaned up quickly and should be done prior to tenants moving in.
2. Cleaning and Preparing for a New Tenant
Whether you are renting for the first-time or turning over a unit to the next tenant, it's a good idea to hire a professional cleaning company to handle this cleaning to ensure the unit is in good condition.
This will also allow you to make a detailed list of the condition of the property before the tenant moves in so that record will be available when they move-out later.
- Check for pests, rodents and insects and have those issues treated professionally. Left unchecked, they can wreak havoc on your investment property.
- In the kitchen, check the appliances and clean them inside and out noting any scratches, dents or other issues that may exist.
- Pull the fridge out and clean behind it, as well as pulling out the stove to clean behind and underneath it.
- Clean the bathrooms, showers, tubs and grout. Taking note of any existing damage to the countertops and any area in the bathrooms.
- Clean the blinds and windows and ensure they are in proper working condition.
- Clean out the closets in every room, especially the top shelves as things get left behind.
- Clean the floor and carpets, inspecting for any existing damage.
After cleaning thoroughly, determine if the walls should be painted. A fresh coat of paint sets the tone with the tenant that everything is fresh and in excellent condition, and that you expect it to be returned to you that way.
3. The Lease Agreement
If you are renting for the first time or 10th time, if your lease agreement hasn’t been reviewed by a lawyer, stop what you’re doing and go send it off now to ensure your lease is compliant with Maryland rental laws.
When sending the lease agreement to the tenant, take time to answer their questions and explain your expectations.
The agreement can be sent using an electronic service for signatures and you can still meet with them via zoom or over the phone to answer those questions.
4. Collecting Rent & Security Deposit
Some landlords collect the first and last month’s rent up front while others collect the first month’s rent and a security deposit. These items are not the same and need to be treated differently.
Whichever option you prefer, confirm with your state rules that the option is allowed and keep it consistent across all of your properties.
In Maryland, security deposit disputes often involve misunderstandings about when the landlord is entitled to keep the security deposit, and disagreements about whether the tenant caused damage to the rental unit. The landlord must return a tenant's security deposit plus interest, less any damages rightfully withheld, within 45 days after the tenancy ends. If the landlord fails to do this without a good reason, the tenant may sue for up to three times the withheld amount, plus reasonable attorney's fees. (This information has been provided by the Maryland Attorney General’s website here.)
Make sure to follow Maryland rules regarding where to store the security deposit and document the process for review of the unit upon move-out and releasing the security deposit.
5. Change The Locks Immediately
After every turnover, change the locks immediately after move-out. Plan to provide a new set of keys to the new tenants or install a smart keylock where the code can be changed remotely. There is no way to know how many keys the previous tenant gave out and you don’t want to have issues with random strangers (or previous tenants) entering the property to take possession unlawfully.
6. Landlord/Tenant Communications
It’s important to establish with the tenant who’s contact information to use for simple questions to emergency maintenance. This is a critical step if you don’t have a property manager handling this for you.
Let the tenant know what your hours are for general questions. Self managing means you will receive a lot of calls at night and on weekends as that’s usually when the tenant is home and thinking about things.
Also stress to the tenant how important it is to report maintenance issues to protect the property. Water running down the wall from the ceiling is an emergency. Water bursting from a pipe is an emergency. You get the picture, paint for them a picture of what emergency issues look like so they can partner with you to protect your investment.
Take Away
Creating a welcoming environment with your new tenant can set the tone and expectation that they need to take good care of your property since you have set the standard.
Many landlords are too busy to go through all of these important steps to protect their investment and rely on a property manager to solve this issue. Especially with maintenance and emergency calls happening 24/7 and when you least expect it.
If you have questions or would like to discuss property management services for your investment property, give us a call at 443.252.3385 or email us at info@bluedoor-pm.com today!
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