Renting out a property can be an exciting and financially rewarding venture, but it’s not as simple as putting a “For Rent” sign in the yard and waiting for eager tenants to show up.
Before you start saturating the internet with your listing and accepting applications from
prospective tenants, you need to make sure that your rental property is move-in ready. It has to be rent ready, otherwise tenants will pay no attention.
Making a property rent ready means ensuring it’s ready for occupancy. The home must be safe, clean, and aesthetically pleasing. It has to have a little something extra, too, so that it stands out among all the other properties on the
Arlington rental market.
Here’s what you can do to make sure your rental property is ready for the market.
Your property is not rent ready if it isn’t safe and habitable. Inspect the electrical system, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, windows and doors (including locks), fire safety devices (like smoke alarms), outdoor lighting, and any additional features like stairs and balconies.
If anything needs to be fixed or replaced—no matter how minor—you should take care of it before listing your home. Tenants won’t want to rent a home that’s missing a major appliance or still having the drywall repaired. It has to be move-in ready in order to be rent ready.
When looking at potential rentals, the
best tenants will naturally gravitate towards those homes that are clean and inviting. No one wants to move into someone else’s dirt and dust. Present a home that’s clean and inviting. Give your rental a thorough cleaning both inside and outside before listing it for rent.
Start with the outside and work your way in. Remove any debris or trash from around the exterior of the property. Power wash the outside if necessary. Inside the rental home, make sure you have a great cleaning crew that can take care of dusting, vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing counters and appliances and tubs and toilets. You want surfaces scrubbed and polished, fixtures dusted, and light bulbs replaced.
An extra-attentive clean will give potential renters a great first impression when they come to view the property. It will feel rent ready to them, and they’ll be able to imagine living there.
When the property is clean, functional, and habitable, you’ve made it rent ready.
Don’t stop there. Make sure it will stand apart from the competition. A few updates and upgrades will give your property a modern and appealing look. Tenants will notice.
Paint the walls if necessary. Install new hardware in the kitchen, on sinks and drawers and cupboards. These small renovations will not only get the attention of good tenants, they may even raise your rental value.
Get your property rent ready and move onto the marketing. You’ll have a pool of interested tenants calling and messaging for more information in no time.
We can help. If you’d like some assistance making your property ready for the rental market, contact us at Arlington Realty Property Management.
