Blog Post

What Appliances Should be Furnished in Your Rental?

Dustin Edwards • October 12, 2021

The Right Appliances Can Keep Tenants Happy and Help You Earn Top Rental Rates

Kitchen with Furnished Appliances
Many first-time landlords may wonder if they should furnish their Long Beach rental. After all, a furnished property has a higher rent than an unfurnished one. However, furnished properties need extra care and maintenance. Not to mention, furniture requires replacing over time, either from tenant misuse or expected deterioration.  

Due to these various factors, most long-term rentals are not fully furnished. More commonly, short-term rentals (i.e. Airbnbs) are fully furnished as these properties are usually only inhabited for days or weeks at a time. 

That being said, you may still want to consider minimal furnishing in particular areas of your long-term rental. These added details can intrigue and excite tenants, who will appreciate having to pack or purchase less furniture. 

Below are some of the areas we suggest furnishing in your Long Beach rental. 

Outdoor Living Space
Tenants will appreciate having a place where they can relax and enjoy the year-round California sun. Designing a spacious outdoor living space can give your Long Beach rental a competitive edge that others may lack. Comfortable lounge seats, a dining set, and a grill are all wonderful furnishings for crafting a pleasant and engaging area perfect for laid-back leisure or joyous partying. Wayfair and Home Depot both have an immense selection of patio furniture to choose from. 

Though typically more expensive, a built-in grill can make an outdoor living space even more appealing. Grills can be built into wooden or stone cabinets with granite, marble, or other countertops, therefore elevating an outdoor cooking area to a full-on outdoor kitchen. Countertop space provides ample room for food, plates, and grilling equipment, as well as a workspace for your tenants. You can even include a sink, minifridge, and other outdoor appliances. Home Depot provides a range of options for outdoor appliances, cabinets, and countertops. 

Additionally, consider putting a shade structure above your outdoor living space to help your tenants stay cool on warmer days or dry on rainy days. 

Overall, an expansive and tasteful outdoor living space can be a rewarding investment that significantly interests tenants. 

Kitchen
Though they may seem customary to most rentals, landlords are not legally obligated to include kitchen appliances. Nevertheless, many rentals do come with appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and microwaves, that are arguably necessities for tenants to live comfortably and to justify paying a competitive rental amount.

Many tenants will see a furnished kitchen as a positive aspect of your Long Beach rental and further demonstrate the quality of your rental. While some tenants may already own appliances that they would like to install, your fully furnished rental will be more appealing to the majority of applicants. 

Laundry
Similar to kitchen appliances, landlords are not legally obligated to include a washer and dryer. However, it may be beneficial to establish a laundry room in your Long Beach rental or, if you lack sufficient space, add a washer and dryer to the kitchen. Tenants will appreciate being able to clean their clothes in their own space instead of at a laundromat. 

Obviously, if your Long Beach rental is part of a larger complex (i.e. a condo, or even a duplex) with its own communal laundry area, then this addition would prove redundant and unnecessary. 

All the above furnishings can act as impressive bonuses for potential tenants and may be the ultimate factor that makes them choose your rental over another. If you would like more assistance regarding furnishing your Long Beach rental, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can fill out our online Rental Analysis.

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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 .
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