A vital component of operating your
Long Beach rental
is ensuring that everything on the property is in pristine and working condition. Broken or faulty items not only pose an inconvenience for your tenants, but they are also a potential safety hazard. Additionally, if interested tenants notice anything is disheveled or defective, chances are they will turn down your rental.
However, there are times when even experienced landlords overlook certain aspects of their rental. As such, here are a few important property maintenance tasks that you might be missing.
Sprinkler Heads
There are many reasons your Long Beach rental’s sprinkler heads may break. Most commonly, feral animals might tamper with them, or machinery (i.e. lawnmowers, bicycles, and cars) might come into accidental contact with them. Regardless, it is important to check on your rental’s sprinkler heads and ensure that they are intact and still working properly.
If you find that one of your rental’s sprinkler heads is broken, replacing it is a rather simple and inexpensive process. Start by checking the top of the existing sprinkler head to determine the model (pop-up or impact), delivery rate (inches per hour or gallons per minute), spray pattern, and throwing distance. Failing to match any of these details can cause water leakage and damage to the sprinkler system.
Once you know all these characteristics, you can find replacement sprinkler heads at Home Depot or your local home improvement store.
After obtaining the replacement sprinkler head, dig a hole around the old sprinkler head, unscrew it from the riser pipe, and screw on the new sprinkler head.
Then, you should test the sprinkler system and watch it for a few minutes to verify that the new sprinkler head works properly. If no leakage occurs, chances are your replacement sprinkler head is a success!
Washer Hoses
One of the most common culprits of house floodings is washer hoses.
Many homes have washer hoses made out of reinforced rubber, which are dangerous because of their likelihood to burst. Not only would this pose an extremely horrible situation for your tenants, but it could also cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in water damages and refurbishment expenses.
Instead of a rubber washer hose, consider purchasing a stainless steel washer hose. The stainless steel minimizes any chance of flooding by acting as a burst-resistant barrier.
For an even greater safety measure, you can buy a stainless steel washer hose with an auto-shutoff mechanism. This additional feature will stop water flow if it senses any alarming changes in water pressure.
Out of all of the above options, auto-shutoff stainless steel washer hoses are the best choice. Though they may be the most expensive, the added price is worth the peace of mind knowing that your Long Beach rental is safe from flooding.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential and required items for your rental. According to the California Building Code, there must be one smoke alarm on every floor of non-sleeping rooms, one smoke alarm in every sleeping room, and one smoking alarm in every hallway that leads to a sleeping room.
Similarly, California law requires at least one carbon monoxide detector in single-family residences. One should be sufficient for a one-story rental, but if your rental is two stories, consider installing one downstairs and one upstairs.
It is important to make sure that your Long Beach rental meets these standards and that all the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are operating.
The best way to guarantee this is by replacing smoke detector batteries annually and carbon monoxide detectors biannually. By doing this, you avoid any false chirping, which poses an inconvenience for your tenants and might falsely scare them into thinking there is a threat. Additionally, this gives you time to check on all the detectors and see if they are malfunctioning or broken.
Furthermore, you should replace smoke detectors around every ten years and carbon monoxide detectors about every five years because, eventually, the alarm sensors stop working. Leaving old detectors in your Long Beach rental can be hazardous as they may fail to save your tenants from catastrophic fires or gas leaks.
Home Depot and plenty of other retailers carry a wide variety of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Window Screens
Torn and brittle window screens are not only unsightly and bring down your Long Beach rental’s curb appeal, but they also let in bugs, rain, and dust.
Unfortunately, there is no clear lifespan for window screens. Therefore, you should keep an eye on your rental’s window screens and replace them whenever they become thin and start to develop holes. Depending on the amount of wear and tear they endure, window screens can last anywhere between five to ten years. It all depends on how you and your tenants care for your property.
Home Depot carries pre-framed window screens of various widths which makes it easy to find replacement screens that best fit your rental’s windows.
Adding these property
maintenance tasks to your checklist
will better your rental and foster happier tenants. If you need further assistance with caring for your Long Beach rental, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can fill out our Owner Application online.
