Preparing Your Long Beach Rental for Rain

When you live in Southern California many newer landlords tend to forgo preparing their rental property for the rainy season. Due to the irregularity of rain in Long Beach many properties aren't ready to handle the changing volumes of rain throughout the year.

There are many ways to prepare your property to efficiently take on the rain. However, depending on the age of the property there are some preparations that take priority over others.

Below are some of the upgrades and fixes you as a landlord should consider when preparing your Long Beach rental for the rain.

The Roof of Your Rental

The first line of defense from rain damage in the rental is making sure there are no leaks or other damage on it’s roof. The average lifespan of a new roof is usually 20 years, it is recommended to have an inspection of your roof every 3 years if the roof is still relatively new and has not been through harsh weather (thankfully we are in Southern California which means we aren’t exposed to weather that is too harsh). 

For older roofs an inspection is recommended every 1 to 2 years. Keep in mind that the older the roof has become the more likely it could leak due to the cumulative damage it’s had over its lifespan. If you are unsure of the age of the roof then having a yearly inspection is recommended.

The average cost of a roof inspection In Southern California can cost around $250 and in some cases more depending on the property's square footage. Although having to pay for a visual inspection can seem like an unnecessary expense, the amount of money saved from being prepared can be in the thousands when compared to the damage a roof leak could cause to your rental.

Rain Gutters

Rain gutters are incredibly versatile in protecting your rental from rain. Rain gutters may cost as little as $7 a foot for vinyl gutters, $11 a foot for aluminum, $13 a foot for copper and $25 a foot for galvanized steel. As with inspecting your roof, it is recommended to regularly inspect your gutters if they are over 10 years old.

For the small upfront cost, the amount of protection rain gutters provide extends to several key aspects of the exterior of your home.. They add protection to your exterior walls by limiting the amount of erosion caused by water due to it being redirected, and by changing the water flow you also protect your foundation from long term damage as well. 

By reducing the amount of standing water on your roof you also minimize damage done to the roof increasing its longevity. As well as avoid growing mold and helping keep your home pest free as standing water is typically where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

Drainage System

Rain water drain systems are another great way to redirect rainwater away from your rental. Rain water drain system is the network of structures, channels, and pipes underground that carry rainwater to larger bodies of water like ponds, lakes, and rivers. This network consists of a public and private system that are separate from the system which carries waste and sewage.

The installation of rain water drainage can be relatively expensive much like every other project to protect your rental from rain, the cost may vary depending on materials and labor. On average the cost expected for property owners is $4000.

Smart Sprinkler Controller

The importance of keeping your tenant happy can not be overstated, a small investment in a smart sprinkler controller can keep lawn care in the minds of tenants. With smart controllers you have the ability to set up watering schedules not only based on seasons, but also based on local weather. Savings to the water utility bill can be noticeable immediately.

The average cost between smart sprinkler controllers is $140 for an orbit B-hyve to $260 for a Rachio 3, with some of the major differences being the number of zones they can control (8 to 16) and their compatibility with Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa or Google assistant.

Protecting your Long Beach rental from water damage is a great way to keep maintenance costs down, and keep your property occupied for years. Call us at (562) 888-0247 if you have any questions about protecting your rental from rain water damage or find out what your property could rent for by simply filling out our rental value form today.