There are different methods of increasing the curb appeal of a rental property. But making sure that its level is maintained is a whole other matter, especially if you have a long-term tenant in your property. To help keep the curb appeal strong, it’s best to get your tenant involved. They could pitch in for the good of the Plant City rental property. After all, it would benefit them as well. Maintaining the good condition of your property depends so much on the tenants you have. The best tenants are the ones who are conscientious enough that they also want the property kept in good shape. So, with the help of some simple strategies and good communication, you can improve and maintain your Plant City property’s curb appeal — 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 stipulate that they want any messes the tenant makes to 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 changed the oil there, they would be leaving some oil stains behind. That would really look bad in your driveway. 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 clearly listing which tenant activities are okay and which are not, you are starting off your tenant-landlord relationship well. There is a clear and mutual expectation for each other’s responsibilities from the onset, and that is a huge step towards collective success.
Encourage Cooperation
You can encourage your tenant’s cooperation in maintaining the property in other ways. Get to know your tenant more. You may see that they have a skill that could help you. For example, they could be tapped to help with your property’s landscaping. If you notice that your tenant has a green thumb and a natural skill for landscape maintenance, then you could enlist them to help a bit with the front yard or other green areas of the property. 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 offer different kinds of incentives. If your tenant words well with their hands, then you can ask them to do the basic maintenance for the property in exchange for a discounted rental rate. Or, think about this alternative: get a professional to do the maintenance but slightly increase the rental amount. Depending on who your tenant is, they may rather pay more rent to avoid having to weed flower beds and mow the lawn every week.
No matter how you choose to go about it, always be on the lookout for exterior maintenance problems that are starting to develop. Then encourage and help your tenant before they become an issue. 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, know that the best way to encourage someone to do something is to first display that same behavior. Show your tenant that you care about the property and they will, likewise, care for it too. 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 more information about developing your property’s curb appeal? Give Real Property Management Freedom a call at 813-867-2667! Our Plant City property management professionals can offer suggestions and assistance with everything from property maintenance to tenant relations. Contact us today!
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