Smart Property Updates that Can Add Convenience for Your Tenant

Updating your Long Beach rental to meet these new standards of living can be crucial to staying competitive and cultivating a convenient space for your tenants.

The following are some of the various technological additions to consider for your Long Beach property to become a smart rental. 

If you plan to incorporate a smart speaker into your Long Beach rental, you might want to consider installing smart bulbs as well. Smart bulbs are lights that your tenant can turn on and off simply by asking their smart speaker or using their smartphone. Thus, smart bulbs eliminate the need to get up and flip a switch, which is especially convenient when your tenant is already tucked into bed. Tenants can also set up routines for the smart bulbs to regularly turn themselves on and off. 

Furthermore, the most popular smart bulbs brands, such as Philips Hue and NiteBird, are LED lights that can change color. As such, not only are these bulbs energy-efficient, but they can also create vibrant and emotive ambiances for your tenant. 

Smart bulbs range in cost from $15 to $50 on a per bulb basis. It’s not required to add smart bulbs in every room of the house. It is recommended to add them to the rooms that will add the most convenience for the tenant. You might consider the master bedroom, living room, or other highly used areas.

With all the devices on the market now (smartphones, computers, tablets, smartwatches, etc), it is imperative that your tenant has plenty of electrical outlets. Most of the aforementioned devices do not require standard three-prong plugs to charge. Rather, they can simply plug into USB ports. Installing wall outlets with USB ports adds extra space to ensure that your tenant can charge as many devices as possible. Plus, USB ports tend to charge devices faster and, therefore, conserve energy. 

Altogether, USB wall outlets are one of the easiest ways to improve your rental with a low-cost and relatively simple installation process. 

You can get a 3 pack of USB wall outlets from Home Depot in the $55-$65 range. This is an item, if you are electrically inclined, you could do over a weekend prior to renting out your property. We recommend installing these in bedrooms and maybe one or two in a kitchen (away from water source of course).

Though the sea breeze is usually refreshing enough for Long Beach rentals, there are always those scorching hot days when some extra cooling is necessary. Instead of putting in an air conditioner, installing a few ceiling fans around your property can supply enough fresh air to keep your tenants cool and comfortable.

Additionally, running a ceiling fan throughout the day is an eco-friendly and cost-efficient alternative to air conditioners that can notoriously hike up electricity bills and waste energy. Especially since, in Southern California, air conditioning is far from essential. 

Over the past few years, smart speakers have grown from an insignificant and unfamiliar item to a staple in many households. Now, there are numerous brands available, most notably Amazon Echo, Google Nest, and Apple HomePod. All of them share similar designs and features. And while you might think these are best suited for short term rentals, they can be a match for your long term rental as well.

For starters, smart speakers can play music and podcasts, either by pairing to a bluetooth device (ex: smartphone) or streaming via an internet connection. 

Additionally, they can provide you with quick answers to simple questions. For example, “what is 19 + 89?” 

Smart speakers can also make calls, set timers, recommend recipes, conduct online purchases, and facilitate news updates. Some newer models even incorporate built-in screens that can play films, TV shows, YouTube, music videos, and more. 

Adding a smart speaker to your rental can make it more appealing to your tenant, as it gives them an impressive virtual assistant that will only become more advanced over time. 

Smart speakers range in cost from $30-$60. They are affordable and add a modern touch to your rental.

Upgrading your Long Beach rental to craft a more convenient and modern space will help you stay ahead of the competitors. If you are looking for a property management company to help you with these modernizations, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or you can check out our Free Rental Analysis online.