Tips for New Rental Property Owners – Part 1
Becoming a landlord for the first time can be a very stressful situation. Finding a qualified tenant is probably the first thing on your mind, but it is also very important that you are complying with all the important rules and regulations that go along with rental properties.
So what are the most important aspects of being a landlord? Below are some tips that will give you a basic understanding of owning a rental property and what you should focus on to be the best landlord possible:
- Screen Potential Tenants – In order to find the best tenant for your rental, you will have to do a little bit of research. Anytime a potential tenant fills out an application, you should run background and credit checks. It is also very important to contact all references you are provided with. This will give you a great idea of how likely the tenant will be to pay you on time each month.
- Have a Contact List of Maintenance Partners Ready – It is always a good idea to be proactive and create the relationships with your maintenance partners before any issues arise. This way, if it is 2am and you receive a phone call that your property is flooding due to a broken pipe, you know exactly who to call. This can help to limit the damage you experience before it is too late.
- Know the Market Rate For Your Property – Although you may think that your property is near flawless, you have to look at the situation from a potential tenant(s) perspective. What are the weaknesses of the property? Does it have a good layout? Is the home located in a good location? It is always a good idea to look at other similar homes for rent that are currently on the market. This will help to give you an idea of what your property will actually rent for.
- Customize Leases – It is very easy to find a generic lease online that you can have your tenants sign. While this will cover you on many of the basics like rent, security deposits, and tenant rights, it may not cover the more in depth issues that you would like to outline (like your pet policy, how you handle late fees, and what maintenance the tenant will be responsible for). If you are not currently
customizing your leases, you may want to consider starting this practice. - Create a Property Inspection Report – By getting a property condition report signed by the tenant at move-in, you can decrease the chances of a dispute when the tenant moves-out. This will help to eliminate the excuse of “that problem was already there when I moved in” from your tenant, as it will show all of the issues the property had before the tenant moved in.
Being a rental property owner can be very rewarding, but also very stressful. If you would like to discuss the best way to manage your rental or if you are considering hiring a property management company, please contact us at FRE Property Management. We are the premier property management company in Utah and will provide you with the peace of mind knowing that your investment is being taken care of. Contact us today at 801-673-5692.
