As the owner of rental property, you want your investment to be successful, as well as easy to maintain. Whether you’ve recently decided to turn your home into a rental, buy a fixer upper, or concluded that your rentals cost too much to maintain, you’ll want to make the most of your resources. Your property should be durable, and to make that happen, the initial cost may be a bit hefty. However, the monthly savings in maintenance and repairs will be a welcome addition to your rental income.
Converting your rental to become low maintenance usually involves renovations using quality materials and simple tricks. Let’s focus on five ways to make your unit comfortable, attractive, and durable.
1. Install Durable Flooring
Carpeting and other plush flooring aren’t typically as durable as other flooring materials. Carpet is easily stained, worn, and damaged, so it’s best to avoid using carpet in high-trafficked areas such as the entryway, living room, and dining room (or avoid it all together if possible). Rather than using carpet, try:
Laminate
Laminate flooring resembles hardwood but is actually plasticized. Laminate can be installed in a very short period of time, even just a single day, and comes in a wide range of styles. Because laminate flooring sits over the subfloor, it can be installed over existing hardwood, linoleum, or even some types of carpet. If a piece of the flooring is damaged, it’s simple to replace. Laminate flooring is also significantly cheaper than alternatives such as hardwood floors.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is practical, durable, soft to the touch, and resistant to both water and stains. Vinyl is a synthetic material that is easy to care for, and luxury vinyl tiles (like laminate flooring) click together and float over the existing floor. Some vinyl even absorbs sound, which removes the need for carpeting or large area rugs to lessen noise. Vinyl planks can look very similar to hardwood flooring and are extremely low maintenance and cost effective.
Engineered hardwood
Engineered hardwood flooring refers to a thin slice of hardwood layered on a base of high-quality plywood. It has the attractive look of natural hardwood floors without the high cost. If you don’t want to nail it down, you can get click-together products that install as easily as laminate flooring. Engineered hardwood flooring will likely be very appealing to tenants who will appreciate the floor’s quality and appearance. You may find that you can charge more for rent due to this high-quality flooring.
2. Provide Practical Lighting
Every room in the rental property should have an area light that’s turned on and off with a switch. In most cases, a dome-shaped light fixture positioned in the middle of the ceiling fits the bill, but you can always add a unique light fixture or even a lighted ceiling fan, especially in the bedroom(s). To make lighting in the unit flexible, try:
Track lights
Track lights are easy to install, and you can add, remove, and redirect the individual cans at will. Tenants who enjoy cooking can get the light they need in the kitchen, while those who like to entertain can focus the light in the living room.
Switched outlets
Renters often enjoy having table and floor lamps rather than always using overhead lighting. Having these lamps (provided by the tenant) connected to a switched outlet is a bonus, so consider providing at least one switched outlet in every room of the rental.
3. Make the Kitchen Easy to Clean
Because the kitchen is often the most used room in the rental, you may want to consider a few options to make the space functional while preventing wear and tear.
Countertops
Wood countertops are common, but plastic laminates are better. Plastic is easy to clean, and the finish won’t wear unless abused. Luxury countertops such as granite, quartz, marble, and even concrete are an option as well. These materials are durable, attractive, and easy to clean. These types of countertops will also allow you to adjust the price of rent accordingly since this is a luxury feature in the rental.
Undermount sink
An undermount sink means that there is no ledge on the sink putting it above the countertop. This allows tenants to wipe crumbs and spills directly into the sink without catching anything on the edge of the trim, making the clean-up process simple.
Wood cabinets
Real wood cabinets won’t delaminate in the hot, moist kitchen environment. They are also easy to clean when finished with a durable, clear finish or paint. When the cabinets show signs of age, you can save yourself a bundle by simply sanding and refinishing them, rather than having to buy new cabinets.
Paint
Using a gloss paint in the kitchen will make walls easier to clean. The next time spaghetti sauce splatters on the wall from the pot on the stove, your tenants can easily clean up the mess without fearing a stain on the wall.
4. Replace Doors and Windows
Although updating your rental doesn’t necessarily call for replacement of all doors and windows, any that are damaged should be replaced, and this is the time to do so.
Exterior doors
Steel or fiberglass doors typically look as attractive as wood doors when properly painted, and they are virtually indestructible. These exterior doors will provide better security, as well as more insulation.
Interior doors
Keep things simple by installing plain, hollow-core doors without panels or trim. You can paint them with semi-gloss enamel, which can be easily refreshed when needed. However, if you prefer your doors to be a bit more decorative, you can always choose a paneled door while still avoiding trim around the frame which is often affected by normal wear and tear.
Door hardware
Choose durable yet cost effective hardware for your exterior doors that offers at least two locks, including a lock on the door handle or knob and an interior deadbolt that can only be locked and unlocked from the inside. Keep in mind that if you can rekey the locks on the exterior doors, you won’t have to change them between tenancies. To stay in budget, avoid buying handsets for interior doors. More affordable models are equally functional and durable.
Windows
When choosing new windows to replace outdated or damaged ones, avoid choosing a model with cranks or easily breakable handles. Vertical or horizontal sliders are easy to operate and provide great insulation, especially with double-insulated glass. These windows will save you the cost of repairs in the long run and increase the value of your property.
5. Check the Plumbing and Foundation
Depending on the age of your property, you may want to consider hiring an inspector to thoroughly inspect the plumbing and foundation for any potential issues. This will prevent you from dealing with major maintenance issues and repair costs during a tenant’s lease.
If you’re upgrading an older unit or remodeling a fixer upper, there’s a good chance some of the faucets are past their time, and one or more may be dripping. You can easily fix the leaks, but if you want to avoid hiring a professional plumber, take the extra step and replace the old faucets with new, easy-to-fix cartridge faucets. Cartridge faucets are a waterless fixture designed to be easily replaced when the faucet beings to drip or leak.
If you have any drain stoppages, simply clean them with an enzyme-based cleaner before your tenant moves in. In the lease, include a plumbing stoppage addendum so the responsibility falls on the tenant to keep them clear.
Conduct Routine Inspections Throughout the Year
To ensure your rental property is holding up after you’ve made upgrades, it’s important to conduct routine inspections throughout the year. Check your state laws to see what is considered excessive when it comes to inspections and make sure to provide tenants with proper notice before entering the property. We recommend including a clause in your lease that reminds tenants of their responsibility to inform you of any maintenance issue in a timely manner so that it can be dealt with before the problem worsens. Dealing with maintenance requests can often feel like a juggling act, but Apartments.com has the solution. With our online maintenance platform, tenants can submit maintenance requests online. We notify you when you have a request, and you can easily update your tenants as the repair progresses. You can even attach receipts, upload notes, and track expenses for the repairs. You and your tenants can even share images and videos. Keeping everything in one place makes it easy to keep track of repairs, how often something is requiring repair, and how future repairs might impact your budget.
Durable flooring, practical lighting, an easy-to-clean kitchen, new doors and windows, and a newly inspected foundation and plumbing system should keep your investment durable and low maintenance for many lease terms to come.
