Improving Your Outdoor Lighting Solution for Your Long Beach Rental

Dustin Edwards • June 14, 2022

Outdoor Lighting Is An Attractive Offer For Potential Renters

Outdoor lighting is necessary to promote a safe and enjoyable ambiance for your tenants. It’s not uncommon for landlords to disregard ample lighting on their Long Beach rental. The best lighting for rental properties can be a safety feature to deter unwanted intruders and trespassers while preventing accidents like falling or tripping. Likewise, lighting can be implemented in ways that can be enjoyable for tenants too.

 

Listed below are some solutions to improve your Long Beach rental lighting.


Landscaping Lights for Your Rental

There are many options to consider with landscaping lights. For the most part, landscaping lights are lights used to accent features in the yard of your Long Beach rental property. There are many ways to go about highlighting key elements of landscaping such as:


  • Spotlights aimed up to highlight a tree 
  • Spotlights pointing down from an elevated position down to display a beautiful garden.
  • Accent lights on river rocks where a fountain outpours


And beyond these ideas If you want to keep the natural look of your yard, hidden spot lights are also available. Incorporating lighting can even include spotlights whose housing has the appearance of rocks.


String Lights

Hanging string lights from the main house to the garage or gazebo can bring a warm atmosphere to any yard. Hanging lights around the perimeter of a backyard on a fence is a great way to illuminate the whole yard while being out of the way. If there is a tree in the yard, a string light can also be wrapped around the trunk or strung on the branches over a table to give a candle-lit feel to any meal. The soft illumination can contribute to great outdoor experiences like relaxing after work or evening gatherings. 


String lights can be purchased at most home improvement stores. Some come with their solar panel making installation DIY(do it yourself) friendly. However, others may require the assistance of a handyman or an electrician. 


Security Lighting

Keeping tenants and your Long Beach rental property safe should be a high priority for most landlords. Security lighting should be the brightest in backyards and should illuminate enough areas to scare off destructive animals or potential intruders. Many modern security lights have multiple forms of turning on built into the fixture. 


We recommend hiring a quality electrician who can program the lights to your needs for installing security lights. As previously stated, many security light fixtures come with many options such as:


  • Dusk to Dawn - Which turns off during the day and on during the evening.
  • Motion Detector -  This turns on when movement is detected within the sensor’s range.
  • Timer -  This can turn on or off based on your personal preferences.


Security lights should be installed in front of garages or exterior siding where the lights can illuminate the most amount of your Long Beach rental.


Pathway Lights

Lighting pathways to and from your rental adds curb appeal and can help protect your tenants from slipping and injuring themselves. Path lights come in many options to suit nearly any home. However, they all serve the same purpose of illuminating where one is walking. This can be done in several ways with options for hardwired, which may require a handyman or electrician, or fixtures with mounted or remote solar panels if you don't want to add load to your electrical system.

 

If you want to add to the aesthetic of your rental fixtures that are visible next to the pathway, a good example is Shepherd Hook Path lights by Hampton Bay. If you prefer the lights to be more discrete, perhaps their Silver Integrated LED Path Lights are a better option.

 

There are many more ways to expand your Long Beach rental’s outdoor lighting. If you need more information about outdoor lighting or need help installing outdoor lights, we invite you to call us at (562) 888-0247 or feel free to fill out our free rental analysis to see what your rental could yield today.

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Beach Rentals Need These 3 Maintenance Items Before Summer Starts

By Dustin Edwards • May 30, 2025
Summer is a great time of year where people enjoy a number of outdoor activities. Though for landlords, summer brings with it a list of maintenance items and preventative care for their properties. Below, we’ve gathered three of the most important maintenance items to do before summer starts. Service your HVAC System Southern California summers are getting hotter and hotter, if you want to maintain tenant satisfaction you’ll need to have the HVAC or any A/C or cooling system properly serviced . Filters should be cleaned or replaced, and the ductwork should be inspected. For rentals with window units or mini-split systems should also be thoroughly inspected as well for optimal cooling. Doing proactive maintenance can reduce the risk of the cooling system breaking down during peak usage while also improving the system’s efficiency. This can lower utility costs for your tenants while extending the lifespan of your cooling system, saving you money in the long run. Additionally, consider inspecting your window and door seals for leaks. If the seals are broken, it allows hot air into the living space, this increases the cost associated with cooling while adding more load to the HVAC or cooling system. While not directly a part of the HVAC system, ensuring there aren’t any breaks in the seals helps extend the lifespan of your cooling system which is beneficial to your bottom line. Inspect your Roof The condition of a roof is oftentimes ignored since they tend to last over twenty years, and some property owners may not even be sure when the roof was last replaced . A poorly conditioned roof is one of the primary ways for a rental property to drive up the costs of repairs and tenant complaints. A damaged roof can inefficiently insulate a home, making it harder to keep it cool. It can also lead to water leaks during rainfall, which can lead to water damage, stains, and mold growth. While summers tend to be dry, the coastal cities such as Long Beach may see unexpected shifts in weather, which can bring sudden rainstorms or increased humidity. Fixing a small roof leak is relatively inexpensive, however, leaving said leak to grow can result in an emergency repair can cost thousands especially if a tenant has already moved in. A thorough roof inspection is a great maintenance item to do during a vacancy period especially as this can result in a positive experience with new tenants. This can lead to a long term stay with many lease renewals. Check for Signs of Pests Pest infestations are one of the fastest ways to ruin a tenant’s stay while also damaging a landlord’s reputation. Pests such as ants, cockroaches, other bugs, and rodents are common in many beach cities, especially during the warmer seasons. Being in a city, you’ll likely never truly be rid of pests, though, even a single complaint about an excess of bugs or rodent droppings can lead to bad reviews online, service calls, and in severe cases, lease termination. These pests not only create an unwelcome environment for your tenants, but they can also cause real damage to your investment property. Cockroaches are known to damage small wiring in appliances, ants can ruin food and get in everything, while rodents can chew through walls, plumbing, and even electrical wiring. Landlords should schedule regular ppest inspectionsto check for early signs of pest activity before the hotter season begins. Much like everything in this article, preventative maintenance is significantly cheaper than an emergency call, in this case to an exterminator. If you want to keep your tenants happy and your property well taken care of, preventative maintenance is a must. If you’re unsure about the signs to look for when doing routine inspections 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 .

What Is A Solar Battery and Does Your Rental Need One?

By Dustin Edwards • May 27, 2025
A Solar Battery is an important party of a solar panel system. However, is it valuable for a rental property? Read on to discover.

If You Have These 3 Things, Consider Putting Solar Panels

By Dustin Edwards • May 22, 2025
As California becomes more and more electric, the idea of installing solar panels becomes more enticing for many landlords. While the initial investment may be quite expensive, there are a few things to consider before making the decision. By keeping these factors in mind, you can greatly reduce the overall cost of installation as well as reduce your operational costs throughout the lifespan of the solar panels. Below, we’ve compiled three considerations you should keep in mind before making your decision to install solar panels on your rental property. Long Term Ownership For landlords whose plan is to own their rental property for a long period of time, a solar energy system can be a strategic investment with long-term benefits. The longer you own a solar panel system, the lower the operational costs can be for your rental property. Unlike a homeowner, who sees their return through their energy bill. A landlord sees their return through lower vacancy rates and higher lease renewals. The initial expense associated with installing solar panels can be offset over time through reduced energy costs, improved property efficiency, and adjusting your property’s rent accordingly. Tenants are quite receptive to features that lower recurring expenses, such as their electricity bill. With so many people working from home, a lower energy bill can result in an improvement in tenant satisfaction , as well as reduced vacancy and turnover rates. The use of solar panels fits well in a long-term investment strategy that focuses on keeping operational costs low and reliable while improving your rental property’s value . Stand Out From the Competition In a competitive rental market, such as in Long Beach, CA. Features such as solar panels can help your property stand out to prospective tenants. Features such as solar panels can increase a rental property’s attractiveness to many tenants, though, specifically environmentally conscious individuals and younger tenants tend to gravitate towards rentals with solar panels more. Properties that are energy efficient appeal to renters who prioritize lower utility bills and more sustainable living conditions. These features may influence a prospective tenant’s decision when choosing between rentals of similar characteristics and space. Additionally, tenants who are interested in sustainability often care for the rental and follow the rules better than others. They are also more likely to opt into lease renewals. This means that solar panels can improve your bottom line through a more consistent monthly rental income due to the reduced vacancy and turnover rates. Your Roof is in Good Shape It goes without saying that your roof needs to be in a structurally sound condition in order to install solar panels. In general, a roof is expected to have a lifespan of twenty to twenty-five years, If your roof still has over fifteen years of proper functionality, it's ideal for installing solar panels without requiring additional costs for repair. If your roof is in good condition and won't require repairs in the foreseeable future, you’re far less likely to face problems that would require you to remove the solar panels temporarily. This can be expensive, which is why it's important you don't properly inspect your roof before making the decision to install solar panels. Installing a solar system on your rental property offers measurable benefits to your bottom line in reducing your vacancies and turnover rates, as well as keeping your rental property competitive in the market. If you’re unsure if your roof is structurally sound to install solar panels 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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