Rental property preparation between residents is an important step in ensuring your future residents are happy with their rental choice. A final move out inspection (FMOI) is done so property manager’s are aware of the repairs needed before the next tenant moves in. This article will explain the different levels of rental property preparation between residents.
The importance of rental property preparation
If you were a tenant moving to an apartment, house, or office space, you expect the space to be clean. Nobody wants to go through the process of renting and come to find that the place is a mess. Broken appliances or safety issues would be worse. It would leave a bad taste in your mouth and add more things to your to-do list.
Whoever you rent from should handle all of that before you move in.
What are the different levels of preparation and how do you determine what’s necessary for a property?
It’s different at every company. At RPM Iowa, there are two levels in our process: proturns and proturn pluses (proturn+). Keep reading to discover the differences.
Proturn
A proturn is the most standard level,” Said Dan Holz, Property Manager at RPM Iowa. “This entails professional cleaning fees if needed, carpet cleaning if needed. And it’s usually at the cost of the previous resident.”
Newer builds typically require proturns. There’s not much that needs updated in a brand new construction home.
The quality of tenants that a property management company has will determine the lengths at which they will need to prepare for the next resident. That’s why screening your tenants thoroughly will help you avoid costly turnovers.
Proturn+
When there is a considerable amount of rehab needed to be done to the home, it’s a proturn+,” Holz said. “Things like replacing showers, toilets, repainting, and updating flooring. More often than not, we will undergo a proturn+ at the request or approval of the investor.
Our property managers will make suggestions for the home based on the current market trends that will elevate the property’s value. Sometimes a proturn+ is funded by the previous tenant. Excessive junk removal or damage to the carpets due to an unruly pet in the home or damage by the resident will not be the owner’s responsibility.
A great example of a proturn+ being necessary is having the same residents occupying a unit for 19 years, five of those years being under RPM Iowa’s management. A laundry list of things were needed to be done. Here’s a portion of that list:
- Restaining and powerwashing the back deck
- Repainting the trim and interior walls
- Replacing the toilet, shower, and sink in the bathroom(s)
- Replacing carpet and flooring
Updates hadn’t been made to the property because the tenants were occupying it for so long.
The deciding factors
Our property managers determine whether it is a proturn or proturn+ through the FMOI. A final walkthrough and proper receipts from the residents who will be vacating help determine the cost of the rental property preparation. If a resident wants to pay for their own carpet cleaning, they most certainly can. Or they can request an estimate of costs through their rental property company and use funds from their deposit.
The pre-move out inspection is where residents can ask questions about how to improve the property before vacating.
Get to preppin’!
Rental property preparation is key in starting your relationship with your new residents on the right foot. It’s like making a good first impression. You’ll want your residents to feel as though they are important to you, as they should be. Your resident retention rates will be better off and you’ll probably have to deal with turnovers less. People continue to rent from the companies that treat them well and solve their problems instead of causing them.
If you’re looking for more information on the RPM Iowa rental property preparation process, please reach out to us! We’d love the opportunity to talk property management and real estate investing with you.