There are multiple 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 maintain the curb appeal, it’s best to involve your tenant. Have them help out for the good of the Spokane Valley rental property since it would benefit them as well anyway. Keeping your property in good condition greatly relies on having conscientious tenants. The best tenants are the ones who are as interested as you are in keeping the property in good condition. So, with the aid of some simple strategies, and with good communication, your Spokane Valley property’s curb appeal can be elevated and maintained– one tenant at a time.
Start with Your Lease
The clear communication of your expectations begins with the document that starts everything– your lease documents. In it, the terms of property maintenance, and what to expect with regard to it, can be laid out. All rental property owners would be really glad if they had a tenant that would take good care of their property. But even if you think your tenant fits that description, it’s crucial that you put those expectations in writing. Your document needs to explain those expectations clearly. Many landlords would demand that if the tenant makes any mess, it should be cleaned up right away. But what if those messes could have been prevented? There would be no need to clean anything up! For example, if you have a tenant who does vehicle maintenance in the driveway. If they change the oil there, it would most probably leave oil stains. That would be unsightly. 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 writing down clearly which tenant activities are permissible and which are not, you are guarding your tenant-landlord relationship from any unnecessary friction. This is a huge step toward collective success.
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 green thumb, they would be really good for landscape maintenance. You can enlist them to help you make the front yard look good, or just tidy up other outdoor areas of the property a bit. They may be happy that they get a say in the appearance of the rental house. This additional investment that they put in would also give them more incentive to put in some extra effort in maintaining the place and keep it looking nice.
Offer Incentives
Another way to encourage your tenant to help you increase your property’s appeal is to propose different types of incentives. If your tenant is handy, maybe you could offer a lower rental rate in exchange for them doing the basic maintenance on the property. Or, think about this alternative: get a professional to do the maintenance but slightly increase the rental amount. It depends on who your tenant is. Some tenants would be very willing to pay an additional amount if it means not having to weed flower beds or mow the lawn each week.
No matter what decision you make, always keep an eye out for exterior maintenance issues that are starting to develop. Then offer encouragement and help before they become 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, remember that if you lead by example, you’d more likely influence other people. So, if you show your tenant that you do care about the property and their well-being, they will also grow to care for it as well. Scheduling regular maintenance and updates and dealing with repair requests promptly really helps motivate your tenant to keep your property’s appeal high.
Would you like to know more about increasing your property’s curb appeal? Give Real Property Management Spokane County a call at 509-462-1042! Our Spokane Valley property management professionals can offer suggestions and assistance with everything from property maintenance to tenant relations. Contact us today!
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