Landlords: 3 Rental Upgrades That Will Make Your Units More Durable
If you are a landlord who focuses on renting out residential properties, you might worry about your tenants causing serious damage to your units. Even though you might be careful about screening tenants and requiring a deposit to cover damages, there is always the risk that your rentals could become seriously damaged during a tenant's time staying there. This can obviously eat into your profits and can make it difficult for you to rent out your property again without spending significant money on repairs.
Luckily, there are a few rental upgrades that you can make to make your units more durable. By taking these steps now, you can help prevent your tenants from destroying your units later. Even though you might have to spend money on these upgrades right now, they are sure to save you plenty of money on repairs later.
1. Installing Resilient Flooring
For the most part, carpet has no place in a rental property. It's just too easy to stain or otherwise damage. Instead, you are going to want to replace your existing flooring with something that is very durable and easy to clean. For example, ceramic tile looks great and lasts for years, and it is easy to clean if there are stains. Thick sheet vinyl is another good option, and it can be more affordable and easier to install.
2. Protecting Your Walls
All sorts of things can damage your walls, such as doors being slammed open or shower curtains being hung the wrong way. One of the best ways to combat this is by installing plastic caps on your walls. These caps should be installed on the parts of the walls where door handles will come in contact with them, for example. You can also place them where the shower curtain rod should be hung; then, tenants will know exactly where the rod should be placed and can avoid damaging the wall. This can save you money and time because you shouldn't have to worry about drywall repair when your tenants move out. It's also a good idea to use a paint with a somewhat glossy finish; these paints make it easier to clean the walls without damage and can sometimes prevent the need to paint in-between tenants.
3. Enclose Your HVAC Unit
As you might already know, HVAC units are very expensive and therefore very appealing to thieves. In some cases, even tenants steal these units and sell them for cash. This is why it is smart to invest in protection for your HVAC unit, such as a wrought iron cage that has to be unlocked with a key.
Making upgrades to your rentals now can help you prevent serious damage later. These are three steps that you can take now and that you surely won't regret later.
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