Owner Responsibilities – Wear and Tear
Owner responsibilities are to provide a fantastic home that’s clean, working, and comfortable. Often, an owner may think that everything is on the tenant. That’s not really true. Normal wear and tear is allowed. For example, if there’s carpeting to the bedroom and there are some areas where the carpet is worn, that’s not something you can charge the tenant for. It’s normal wear and tear. But if you have a hole in the wall, that’s not normal wear and tear, and you can charge for it. Tenants are allowed to live in your home, they are allowed to walk up and down the carpeted stairs which will undoubtedly leave wear marks, which is normal wear and tear. This is why it is so important to have the home professionally cleaned prior to tenants moving in. They will also be required to leave I professionally cleaned, including the carpets and more.
Painting and Cleaning
Other things to consider are cleaning and repainting. The tenant has to clean, and we require the tenant to professionally clean the property before move out and provide a receipt for that service. However, nobody is going to get down on the floor with a toothbrush and clean the corners of floors. It makes sense for owners to understand that every time a tenant moves out, there will be some cost. You may have to paint, especially if the tenant was there for a few years. A couch that’s up against the wall will leave a scuff. That’s okay; your own house probably has that same mark if you set your couch against the wall. Be prepared for some expenses and an investment property owner. You want to refresh your property so when you rent it again, it's in great shape. When your home is in tip-top shape, you will get tip-top rent.
Benefits of Professional Property Management
When you hire a professional property management company, we can make sure the tenants meet their responsibilities. They’ll remove debris, keep the home clean, and take care of the appliances. We’ll make sure your home is ready to go, air filters are clean and more. Companies like ours also have protection programs. For example, if I was an owner, I would purchase a filter program from us and have the filters delivered to the tenant annually or
monthly. Then, you can be sure your heating and cooling system is protected. That’s a $3,000 or $4,000 furnace, and you want to protect its life.
These are some brief tips on the difference between owner responsibilities and tenant responsibilities. If you have any questions, please contact us at PropM, Inc. We’d be happy to help with your Sarasota / Bradenton property management and Portland property management questions.
