Attracting good tenants and retaining them in your rental property is key to maximising the ROI on an investment property, so today we’re looking at how best to prepare vacant rental properties for viewing between tenancies.
1. The yard is the first, first impression
Arriving at a property, the prospective tenants’ first impression begins as soon as the property is visible, often from the road — so curb appeal is important. If the rental property is well managed they’ll notice tidy grounds and a well-kept garden.
We work with our landlords to make sure their rental grounds are in fine fettle with no rubbish on the ground, piles of leaves, unkept lawns, or weeds growing wild. Nailing this external first impression will have viewers in a positive mindset as they enter the home’s interior.
2. The more modern, the more appealing
Once inside, the general rule is that the more modern the main amenities are (i.e., kitchen, bathroom, etc.), the more appealing the rental property will be to those viewing it.
A bathroom that’s been renovated in the last ten years will be much more desirable for renters than one that hasn’t been updated since the ‘70s. The same goes for a kitchen with ageing appliances and bedrooms with ratty wallpaper or a dated paint job.
While we try to avoid having our Christchurch rental properties vacant for any length of time, in between tenancies is when landlords should consider updating tired décor with a lick of paint or replacing appliances that are reaching retirement age. Think appliances, paint, carpet, and window treatments.
3. Small details = big difference
When showing vacant Christchurch rental properties, we sweat the small stuff because these smaller details add up and make a big difference. For every fine detail missed, that’s one extra thing would-be tenants may notice as they inspect the building.
Things like dripping taps, blown light bulbs, sticky doors, etc, etc… These compound quickly. Take blown light bulbs for example; these leave viewers thinking, “if they can’t change a simple light bulb, how are they going to cope with big issues?! Do I really want to live here?”
4. Clean and tidy wins the tenant
A vacant rental property should be as clean as physically possible. This means deep cleans of bathrooms and kitchens and running a fine-tooth comb over everything else. We ensure the Christchurch properties for lease we list are spick and span so viewers can imagine themselves inhabiting the space.
Remember, we are at our most critical when viewing properties (to rent or buy), so stand back and visualise the home through the eagle eyes of prospective tenants. Will the clean pass their scrutiny?
5. Meeting Healthy Homes Standards
From 1 December 2020, private landlords need to include a Healthy Homes Standards (HHS) compliance statement for new tenancy agreements, detailing how the property meets the Standards or what steps are being taken to become compliant.
From 1 July 2021, private landlords need their rental properties to comply with HHS within 90 days of any new tenancy.
Having a compliance statement on-hand at viewings will gain trust with potential tenants, showing the landlord is aware of their obligations and how to meet them. If you’re not up to speed with these requirements, get the HHS deadline low down and learn about HHS tax deductions.
The pros of property managers when showing rental properties
Experienced property managers like the Irelands team are seasoned pros at listing and showing properties for lease. If you’re a landlord, we encourage you to get in touch to discuss how we can find you the right tenants, reduce your tenant turnover, and generally make life easier for you and your tenants.
Image:
‘Four Brown Wooden Chairs’ by Terry Magallanes from Pexels.