Blog Post

Evaluating Appliances for Rentals

Dustin Edwards • October 9, 2020

Keep Your Tenant Happy with Well Maintained Appliances

Kitchen Appliances for Long Beach Rental
When you own a rental property one of the items that doesn’t always cross your mind to evaluate is that of the appliances. The major systems (i.e. heating, plumbing, and electrical) are always thought of as they are deemed essential, but try not having a functioning range in your property and you will see that appliances are just as essential.  

Find out more how you can evaluate the age of your appliances and keep happy tenants with the right appliances for your Long Beach rental property.

Lifespan of Appliances
After having successful tenants rent your property over the years it can be easy to forget that your appliances are aging and wearing down. While some appliances breaking down can simply be an inconvenience (i.e. a range) other appliances can cause damage when they break down (i.e a dishwasher flooding a cabinet). When a tenant leaves your property take the time, as part of your exit evaluation, to understand the lifespan of each of your appliances and determine if it might be time to replace them. Consider the average lifespan for the following key appliances:

Appliance Lifespan
Refrigerator 14
Dishwasher 12
Range (Gas) 19
Garbage Disposal 13

Note: You can find additional appliances and their average lifespan at Mr. Appliance where they cite the 23rd annual portrait of the appliance industry report.


To help you in evaluating the age of your appliances consider using an online resource such as
Appliance411.  With the following pieces of information you can quickly see if you might be at the end of the time with a given appliance.


  • Brand
  • Appliance Type
  • Location
  • Model No
  • Serial No


Repair or Replace an Appliance for Your Rental Property?

There is an old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” but in the world of property ownership this can cause you greater challenges.  Older appliances could cause damage to property, sour a relationship with a great tenant, and even cost you a greater yield on your monthly rental (after all who is looking for an olive green refrigerator these days).


In our experience we have found that an appliance is worth repairing when it falls into two main conditions:


  • Appliance is newer (i.e. <3 years old)
  • A major component does not cost more than 50% of replacing it


If your appliances are getting well above the average age for an effective lifespan consider replacing all of them at the same time.  There are often specials you can capitalize on for purchasing them all from the same manufacturer and when you have time to look for a deal vs. having to buy it immediately you can often land a better value.


At Beach Cities Property Management we want your property to be well maintained from the appliances to major systems.  When you would like to find out more about how we help evaluate the appliances to ensure they are in top shape for each tenant we invite you to request our
Free Rental Analysis to see how we can help.


Share this post

By Dustin Edwards January 17, 2025
A new year is a new chance to start new ideas to bring in prospects to your property. Consider the following 5 ideas to engage prospects and get new tenants.
By Dustin Edwards January 10, 2025
Having clear communication with your tenant is essential for maintaining a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. By being transparent in all relevant interactions, landlords can prevent misunderstandings while resolving repairs and disputes efficiently while improving tenant satisfaction. Having good communication with your tenant is beneficial for landlords too. Effective communication also protects your investment property. Remember that while your tenant is living in the property, landlords need to take care of the repairs. Below are the three best things to do during tenant communications. Prompt Responses Addressing tenant concerns quickly is essential for building trust and maintaining a positive relationship. Tenants feel valued when landlords respond quickly, knowing that their needs are being prioritized. Building this trust not only enhances your tenant’s satisfaction it lowers the possibility of conflicts or misunderstandings to arise. This ultimately creates a healthy and successful rental experience for you and your tenant. Some of the most common inquiries will oftentimes include repair requests, among others. As an example; if your tenant reports a leak under their faucet and the repair is delayed, this can be damaging to your landlord-tenant relationship, as well as your property. If left ignored, that leak can result in hundreds of dollars in water damage and a vacancy . Which can further affect our bottom line negatively. For landlords with multiple properties, this can become difficult to keep track of. A property manager can help with scheduling repairs and communicating with your tenant on your behalf. Document Everything Keeping a detailed record of all interactions with your tenant is an important element when managing a property. There are many choices for documentation including email, text, or written notices. Although many property management companies and landlords have opted to use apps or dedicated tenant portals to log communications. A great example, for instance, a tenant may claim they’d reported a repair issue that was never addressed, if everything is to be documented, both you and the tenant would have a copy of the request. Maintaining transparency with tenants. Having thorough documentation ensures agreements and requests between all parties are clearly tracked. Documenting communications with your tenant provides landlords with a foundation for addressing misunderstandings, or disputes if and when they arise. Provide Regular Updates Regular updates show tenants that their landlord is organized and has an attentive approach to managing their property. Giving tenants ample time for maintenance, inspections or policy changes is a simple way to build trust with your tenants while showing your professionalism. Giving tenants advanced notices reassures them that you’re aware of how changes can affect them and you understand that time might be needed in order to adjust. Surprises are best kept for birthday parties. Proactively notifying tenants of changes helps clear the communication channels and minimizes disruptions which helps tenants feel valued and satisfied. These small yet consistent efforts can contribute to a positive tenant stay, which can encourage lease renewals and long-term tenancy. Additionally, having a good relationship with your tenants can give you a great reputation which can provide you with leads when looking to fill a vacancy . It cannot be understated the importance of communication for a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. Even if your tenant may not agree with some of the decisions a landlord needs to make, by giving your tenants ample time to process the change tenants generally are more accepting of said change. If you’re having trouble communicating with your tenants or if you need help managing Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
By Dustin Edwards January 2, 2025
Keeping tenants safe, translates to happy and long-term tenants. Read to discover 5 Inexpensive ways to keep your tenants safe.
Show More
Share by: