Updating Your Rental Properties During Coronavirus

By Ashley Paskill on May 15, 2020

COVID-19 has disrupted so much, especially when it comes to rentals. Social distancing and quarantine rules have made things difficult, especially when you have to update your rental properties for new tenants at the end of a college semester. As tough as it may seem, it is not impossible to update your properties during this time. Just be sure you are following your state, county, and local guidelines for social distancing and quarantine rules.

Protect yourself and others

When you are going into the property, wear a mask and gloves to ensure that you do not come in contact with potential traces of the virus. Have hand sanitizer and soap so that you can keep your hands washed. If you are having others present on the property with you, make sure they also wear masks and gloves and keep a social distance of at least six feet.

One of the biggest updates you may consider now more than ever is a deep cleaning of the property. This will help ensure that there are no traces of the virus on any surfaces so that future tenants can feel safe in their new living space.

Change how you do things

In the past, you may have been able to do a typical walkthrough with the tenants present to go over each space of the property. However, this may not be possible due to social distancing guidelines. To ensure that you are able to get the information you need, consider doing a video walkthrough or have current tenants take photos of each room. This will allow you to see the space to decide what needs to be changed without having to go against social distancing guidelines.

Shop smart

When you are shopping for items you need for your updates and repairs, make sure that you are following social distancing guidelines while in the store. Many stores have their own way of handling these policies, but in general, keep a six-foot distance between you and others and be respectful of employees. Wear a mask. If available, consider doing curbside pickup where you order your items online and pick them up without leaving your car. This will help you minimize contact with others.

Be smart about when you do repairs

While it may be tempting to fix every little chip of paint, focus on the things that need to be taken care of immediately first. Tell potential tenants that you are working on fixing things that may not seem obvious at first glance. When working on repairs, try to do so after your former tenants move out and before your new tenants move in. If you want to get a head start, arrange to do repairs when your tenants are not at home.

Do things to add value to your property

Right now, the most important things you can do are things that will add value to your property. More often than not, these things are things you may not have time to do otherwise. If you learn how to do things on your own without hiring someone else, you can stay within your budget, which is essential during this time of Coronavirus. These things will bring your property new life and will help your tenants see how much you care.

Consider updating your landscaping to include outdoor seating areas and various flowers and plants. You may also want to do smaller things like cleaning out the gutters, changing the air filters, checking for leaks, and making sure the windows are in good shape.

Stay on a budget

As mentioned before, it is important that you stay on a budget, especially if your tenants are not financially able to pay their rent due to Coronavirus. Luckily, there are things you can do that are not expensive that can help reduce the cost of electricity and other utilities now and in the future.

Paint all of your properties the same color. In between tenants, if you have apartments or properties that are all different colors, consider using the time to start matching the colors. It is significantly cheaper to buy a five-gallon bucket of paint than five one-gallon buckets of paint. Doing this will help you maintain consistency across your properties, which is important for branding.

Change out old lightbulbs for bulbs that are energy efficient. These will help reduce the cost of electricity as well as reduce the property’s carbon footprint. Use your current lightbulbs until they run out, but once you need to switch out bulbs, use LED bulbs. If your property is in-between tenants, consider having these within your property so tenants can access them.

Consider switching from carpet to hardwood flooring. Having carpet within your properties can be expensive and tedious to clean. Now more than ever, it is essential that cleaning is simple to ensure that every surface, including the floor, is virus-free. This will also make it less expensive to clean.

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