There are several ways to increase the curb appeal of a rental property. But maintaining it is a different story altogether, especially if your property is home to a long-term tenant. To help keep your South Burlington rental property‘s curb appeal strong, one of the things you should do is to involve your tenant. Maintaining the good condition of your property depends so much on the tenants you have. The best tenants are the ones who are conscientious enough that they also want the property kept in good shape. So, with the help of some simple strategies and good communication, you can improve and maintain your South Burlington property’s curb appeal — one tenant at a time.
Start with Your Lease
Clear communication begins with the lease documents. It’s in these documents that you write down your expectations about property maintenance. All rental property owners would be happy to have a tenant that would care for their property. However, even though you think that’s the kind of tenant you have, make sure to have those expectations explained in writing, and make sure it’s written in a clear and easily understandable manner. Many landlords would demand that if the tenant makes any mess, it should be cleaned up right away.
But what about prevention? Maybe you could have stopped those messes from being made in the first place! If you have a tenant who does vehicle maintenance in the driveway. If they changed the oil there and leave some oil stains, what would that do to the look of your driveway? However, if you are able to discourage them from doing oil changes or other messy jobs on the driveway, you’ll be nipping the problem in the bud. Those oil stains would never even happen. This would see to it that the front exterior of your property would stay clean and attractive.
So, by outlining clearly which activities are acceptable and which are prohibited, you are guiding your tenant-landlord relationship toward collective success. Only good things can come from making the expectations you have for your client clear from the onset. The same thing goes with giving them the opportunity to make their expectations clear to you as well.
Encourage Cooperation
There’s more than one way to encourage your tenant’s cooperation in taking care of the property. Know more about your tenant. You may learn that he has a skill set that could help you. For instance, they could be really helpful for your property’s landscaping. If your tenant has a skill for landscape maintenance or if he has a green thumb, they could be very useful. You can enlist them to help maintain the front yard and/or other areas of the property. They may appreciate the chance to have a say in the appearance of the rental house. And since they have more investment in it, they’ll be happy to put in some extra effort to keep it looking great.
Offer Incentives
Another way to encourage your tenant to help you increase your property’s appeal is to offer different kinds of incentives. If your tenant is handy, then you could give them an offer. They could do the basic maintenance for the property in exchange for a slightly lower rental rate. Or, think about this alternative: get a professional to do the maintenance but slightly increase the rental amount. Depending on who your tenant is, they may choose to pay more rent if it means they don’t have to mow the lawn each week or weed the flower beds.
Whatever route you decide to go on, still pay attention to the exterior maintenance of your property. If there are issues that are starting to develop, offer encouragement and help to your tenant before they grow into bigger problems. Communicate frequently with your tenant; also try your best to make these conversations positive. This can help alert you if any maintenance tasks are left undone.
Finally, realize that when you lead by example, you encourage other people to follow you. So, if you show your tenant that you care about the rental property, then they will also grow to care for it too. For example, when you respond to their repair requests right away, or by simply scheduling regular maintenance and updates– these things really boosts a tenant’s motivation. They will gladly help keep your property’s appeal strong and stable.
Would you want to know more about developing your property’s curb appeal? Give Real Property Management Sterling a call at 802-861-6468! Our South Burlington property management professionals can offer suggestions and assistance with everything from property maintenance to tenant relations. Contact us today.
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