Each new client that goes through our process at Rincon Property Management will participate in an on-site consultation. The on-site consultation helps us to see your property in person, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with the most accurate information and recommendations regarding your property. The on-site consultation will happen after you reach out, complete an introductory call, and decide you want to move forward with the process.
During the on-site consultation, a member of our team will come out to the property, have the opportunity to meet you in person, and look at the condition of the home. They will be able to provide you with information specific to your home and recommendations based on what they see during the walk-through. Some of these recommendations can include how much they believe the home can be rented out for, and what types of maintenance should be completed prior to a tenant moving in. Below we have key areas that will be focused on in the home during this process.
Appliances
One of the first things that we discuss during the on-site consultation is the kitchen, and the appliances that are in it. When we look at renting out a home, many property owners think that leaving appliances behind will help boost the cost of the rent, as well as make potential tenants more likely to apply. This is not often the case.
We always cover basic appliances during this portion of the walk-through, specifically your fridge, dryer and washer. Do you plan to bring it with you when you leave, or will you be getting new ones at your new home?
We highly recommend removing washers, dryers and fridges from the property in an effort to limit your exposure to maintenance requests. While in the lease, the tenant is responsible for caring for the landlords personal property, this can become an issue if the washer, dryer or fridge begins having issues and the tenant would prefer to buy their own rather than pay to fix the one at the property. This can impact the landlord by having to pay to remove the old, faulty appliance. At this point in the walk through, we always cover off on these items, seek to learn more about your planning around the move, and make recommendations that will make the most sense for you and your home.
In fact, many potential tenants already have their own appliances. Because they are often leaving one rental and moving to another, they will bring these items with them, and may not want the existing appliances there. This then becomes the property owner’s responsibility to remove. It may also help to recognize that if a tenant who does not have the appliances can’t rent the property because they cannot afford to purchase them, they likely cannot afford the monthly rent requirements.
Living room and common areas
Next we will head to any living room or common areas. This is a good opportunity to share any concerns you have with the area, or maintenance that will need to be completed.
We typically cover the things that will need to do to get the home rent-ready in these spaces during this time. Something we look at right away is the décor and the curtains or blinds. It is important that both common areas and bedrooms have proper window coverings to provide privacy for the tenant. Landlords are obligated to provide this privacy to tenants, so putting these in place is essential.
It is good to decorate your home as neutral as possible. We always advise our clients to choose neutral colors for staging the home, as this will help potential tenants who come to see the home envision themselves living there better. It can be difficult for someone to walk into a home that is decorated to a specific taste and be able to see themselves living there. By utilizing a more generic aesthetic within the home, it can show the tenant how they could mold the space into something they will love living in, and take great care of.
Restrooms
Next, we head into any restrooms in the home. We check specifically for any caulking that needs to be replaced or redone, or if there is any routine maintenance that needs to be completed. If the bathroom is not in good condition, it will need to be repaired prior to a tenant moving in, or applicants viewing the property.
Laundry Rooms
In the laundry room, we will look at the type of flooring used. We do recommend that laundry rooms use tile or hard surfaces for the flooring when possible, as it makes for easier cleanups and will save money for carpet replacements in the long-run.
Back and front yard
At this point in the walk-through, we will go outside to look at both the back and front yard with you. We look at the landscaping and discuss ways to make it look presentable, as well as easily maintainable. Existing grass or plants in the yard are typically not an issue, but many difficult to maintain plants can be problematic for renters.
We often suggest that a gardener be put in place, as well as someone to maintain a pool area if there is one present at the property. If the property owner already has a pool maintenance company or gardener in place to care for the property, we do recommend that they keep them in place when they begin renting it out.
By keeping current landscape maintenance in place, the property owner is able to have a trusted extra set of eyes on the property, as well as be assured that the property is being cared for to their liking.
General
If a lot of maintenance needs to be completed, we will recommend that it is completed all at once. It is typically cheaper to replace or repair everything all at once, rather than in small chunks. We can also handle maintenance concerns for you, making sure that the property is completely ready to rent. This is often desirable to our clients who may be in the midst of moving plans, and working on a new home. We are happy to take it off of your plate for you, and let you focus on where you will be living next.
We will also discuss the walls of the home, and see if it is necessary to repaint. Often, due to décor hanging on the walls, or furniture bumping into the walls, it is necessary to repaint. If the owner has paint leftover from the last time they painted, it will typically work to just do touchups on the walls as needed.
Prior to a tenant moving in, the home will need to be professionally cleaned. If the home has carpet, this includes shampooing, or replacing, the carpet depending on the condition.
Before we leave the property, we provide potential clients with a one-sheet (click the link to view an example on-sheet) that has all of the walk through’s notes listed. This will provide the property owner with a punch list of what they need to do to get the property ready to rent. We will also share that we provide a money back guarantee, if within the first 90 days the property owner is unhappy with our services and chooses to go a different direction.
We will also go over a few final notes, including how the home will be shown, insurance, the pricing of each of our plans, how long it will take to rent out the property, how much we believe it can be rented out for, whether pets are allowed on the property, how tenants are selected and what your timeline is for moving out. Below are a few more things we go over before the on-site consultation comes to a close.
How we provide showings to potential tenants
We utilize lock box showings for potential renters to come view the property. This has proven to be safe and effective, while allowing for more potential tenants to view the home.
Ensuring the proper insurance is in place
Insurance is also incredibly important discuss, as the policy will need to be switched to best protect the landlord/property owner, as well as the home.
Whether or not the property is pet friendly
We often encourage our clients to allow their property to be pet friendly. This encourages more applicants, reduces chances of someone bringing a pet in without permission, and increases the chances of the tenant calling in to fix any damages.
Your timeline
Your timeline for moving out is incredibly important as we will need to know how best advise you, and when to begin marketing the property. The opportunity to sign a contract during the on-site consultation will be available, but it is not required and can be signed later on.
Who holds the title of the home
It is important that we know who legally holds the title of the home. If you are renting the home out for a family member, or you are renting with another person, it helps things to go as smoothly as possible to be in the loop. If there are multiple people involved, we will discuss who the point of contact is.
Maintenance Thresholds and Reserve accounts
Maintenance thresholds are the amount of money that you authorize us to spend on maintenance without contacting you first. This is appreciated by clients who want to be hands-off with the property, and can see the charges, up to the agreed upon amount, on their monthly statement. We recommend that the maintenance threshold be $300.
Finally, we will discuss a reserve account. This is the property owner’s money that will sit in our trust account. This money will only be used on your property; no one’s reserve money will be used on yours, and none of your reserve money will go to any other property. We suggest that this money, to be used in the event of an emergency, is set at $1,000.
If you are interested in renting out your property, reach out today through our contact form to get more information.
