How To Prepare Your Property For A New Tenant

You’ve gone through the process of putting your property on the market and finding a new tenant to occupy it. However, before your new tenant can move in, there are a few things that you should do first. Getting these things checked off your list before your tenant moves in will help to reduce misunderstandings and make the moving process easier for both you and your tenant.

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Fix Anything That Could Be a Safety or Health Issue

Double-check and make sure that there are no damages that could possibly be a safety or a health concern. This is very important. Any kind of damage, like a broken window or dodgy lock, should be repaired. Another safety concern that should be immediately taken care of is checking the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working as they should be. Check the property for mold, and make sure there are no health concerns with lead paint.

If you take care of all these problems while the property is empty, you can protect your new tenant from health issues and dangers.

Make Sure The Property Has Been Cleaned

This is important, especially if the property was occupied by someone else before your new tenant. Make sure the whole place has been properly cleaned. Take extra care to clean rooms like the bathroom and kitchen. If the property has never been rented before, you should still make sure it is clean and ready to move into. It can also be a good idea to use extermination services to get rid of any bugs or other pests to make save yourself a potential problem in the future.

Check The Electricity, Plumbing, and Heating are Working

A tenant is going to need all of these things if they’re going to like living in your property. Take the time to check and make sure that the plumbing isn’t clogged or leaking, and that the electrical sockets are all in good working order. Check the lights and the heating throughout the property, and have any issues fixed. To save you time, you could hire a property manager to take on maintenance tasks like this for you.

Confirm The Tenant Understands The Lease

Go through the tenancy lease agreement with the tenant. Answer any questions that they might have and make sure they have understood everything. When you’ve done this, both you and the tenant can sign and date the document.

Change The Locks

It’s a good idea to think about rekeying your locks if the property has been occupied before. This ensures that an old tenant doesn’t still have keys to the property when a new tenant moves in. Even if you get the keys back from the old tenant, you can never know if they’ve had spares cut for friends, even if the lease doesn’t allow this.

Take Payment of the First Month’s Rent and the Security Deposit

It’s always smart to collect the first month of rent and a security deposit before a new tenant moves into your property. This will save both of you from getting into any misunderstandings later on about what is and isn’t still to be paid.

Inspect The House

Have the property inspected before somebody new moves into it. Note any damage or wear so you know what was already there before your new tenant arrives. Depending on where you are, you might need to have a health and safety inspection to make sure the property is safe to be lived in before anyone can move in.

Give The Tenant Your Contact Information

Give your tenants a way to contact you if they need to ask any questions, make a complaint, or request any repairs. Make sure the tenant knows when they can contact you, and who to contact if they need help outside of your working hours.

Check The Move-In List

On the day your new tenant moves in, both of should check the move-in list. This list should cover the condition of the property before move-in. Describe each room, date the list, and then sign it. You’ll need this list to compare the property against when this tenant moves out.

Check The Tenant Requests

Sometimes a tenant might have a special request. For example, a tenant with a disability might need different access, or need to accommodate their service animal in the property. Any special requests should be included in the lease.

If you take all these steps, you can build a better relationship with your tenant.

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