Helpful Items to Have Around to Help Your Tenants
Dustin Edwards • May 9, 2021
A few Items Can Help You to Keep Happy Tenants
When you are helpful to your tenants they have the wonderful tendency to want to stay longer and treat your property with a greater amount of respect. It may sound small, but this small bit of helpfulness can save you valuable dollars each time a tenant moves out. For many landlords this can seem like a foreign concept as they feel tenants should provide for themselves as they are providing the property and while that might be factually true one can learn a bit from how proprietors of AirBnBs have taken care of their guests.
With short term rental (i.e. AirBnB, VRBO) hosts they make everything as convenient as possible as they are looking for great reviews to win their next stay. While long term landlords don’t have a rating system on their properties (yet anyway) there are small aspects you can take from their approach that could help you with your Long Beach rental.
Welcome Book
A welcome book can give someone a quick guide to aspects about your property vs. letting them “figure it out”. Now for a long term rental you can simplify your welcome book to include only essential (vs. the wide entertainment aspect in short term rentals) but consider including items like the following:
- Appliance guides/instructions
- Sprinkler schedule
- Water shutoff location
- Trash day pickup
- Street sweeping day
While these might seem like small or they can figure it out, these small items can show your tenant they are truly welcome from day one.
Common Household Tools
Home rentals in Long Beach are particularly popular, but with a home there are often items that people need that they might not want to buy because it isn’t their property. To help tenants with common challenges that they could encounter, consider putting together a few common tools that could help them around the house. Consider the following:
- Allen Key for Garbage Disposal
- Adjustable Wrench
- Rake/Shovel/Broom
- Plunger
These can be put in a closet or garage space and even be identified in your welcome book to help your tenant see that there are a few items to help them should they encounter a small item that doesn’t need your attention.
Bulbs and Batteries
Before you roll your eyes and think “come on” consider that a happy tenant is one that understands you care about them and a few items of convenience can help. Two very common items that often need replacing can be put in a closet to help tenants when they first move in. Consider the following:
- Light Bulbs - While you might have a good volume of can lights consider having replacement bulbs at the ready for common areas such as bathroom vanity lights and ceiling fan lights.
- Batteries - No, not for remote controls necessarily, but consider providing 9 volt replacement batteries for the smoke detectors if they aren’t the newer 10yr or wired versions.
Garden Supplies
Many people are attracted to renting a home because then they can get a yard and enjoy the outdoor space or even enjoy some basic gardening. To help tenants with the fundamentals of lawn care (even if you have a gardener) consider providing a safe weed-kill product or even a small rake or trowel to help with weed removal. Often the smallest of items can help someone to take a bit of pride with their rental occupancy.
When you want to find out more about how we keep tenants happy for the long term we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can even fill out our Owner Application
and we can develop a custom rental analysis for your property (or properties).
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Your property’s roof is its first line of defense from the sun, rain, and wind. Which means it will eventually wear out. Many landlords overlook this since a roof is generally designed to last twenty or so years, and they simply forget until the signs begin to show. Below, we’ve compiled a short list of five signs it’s time to replace your roof for when doing property inspections. Tenant Complaints When your roof has become damaged, your tenants will likely be the first to notice. When tenants report water stains on the walls and ceilings, it's a sign that you should inspect your roof. In severe cases, your tenant may notice water dripping from roof leaks. This moisture, if left unchecked, can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, which can be a health concern for your tenants. Some tenants simply move out, assuming the odors or recurring respiratory issues are caused by the rental and not just the roof. This leaves you with a vacancy to manage, and if you’re unable to find the leak during this period, the following tenant may have a negative experience as well. Many landlords have found it beneficial to have property inspections regularly in order to preserve both the property’s value and the tenant’s trust. Roof’s Age Even with the highest quality materials, a roof still has a shelf life. Most roofs in Long Beach, CA, use asphalt shingles, and these generally last around twenty to twenty-five years. Once they've passed this threshold, the faults begin to show themselves. A sagging roof line is a sign that your roof is due to be replaced, as it's a serious concern. It often indicates that moisture has entered the underlying decking and caused some structural damage. From ground level, you may not be able to notice these problems. However, during an inspection of the property, an experienced inspector should be able to notice soft spots or contours on the roof. These forms of damage often get worse over time. Coordinating these inspections and preventative maintenance can be difficult for landlords with an extensive portfolio, which is why many enlist help. Shingle Damage Damaged shingles are one of the most obvious signs that your roof is deteriorating. If you ever notice cracking, curling, or patches with missing shingles, the roof is no longer providing adequate protection to your property. Although you can buy time with spot repairs, if the entire roof shows signs of damage, it’s likely time to replace the roof. Aside from protecting your property, the roof affects your property’s curb appeal. A patchy and worn-out roof can drive down the rental appeal. Prospective tenants will easily be able to spot the differences between pictures taken in the listing when compared to the property in person. This can not only hurt your chances of filling a vacancy, but it can also hurt your reputation as a landlord. Granules in Gutters After heavy rainfall, it's a good idea to inspect your rain gutters. If you or your property manager notice large amounts of black or gray granules, it means your roof shingles are breaking down. These granules are critical for shedding water off the roof. Once the granules fall off the shingle, the shingle begins to degrade faster under the sun and elements. If you’re not sure how old your roof may be, Loss of granules can be a strong indicator that your roof is nearing the end of its lifespan. Regular gutter cleaning and roof inspections can help catch these problems early before they become expensive repairs . Increase in Utility Bills Your tenants complaining about their utility bills increasing or poor temperature control in the rental may not realize the roof is to blame. A failing roof can result in subpar insulation and ventilation. This can lead to higher heating and cooling bills for your tenant. This can be frustrating for your tenants while putting more strain on the HVAC system. This puts more wear and tear on your HVAC system. Being aware of the warning signs and being proactive can protect your rental property, maintain tenant satisfaction , and avoid emergency repairs. If you need help inspecting your roof or you need help managing your 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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