The growing fascination with do-it-yourself home improvements is not going away anytime soon. Reality shows and social media have added to the impression that anybody can do it and has therefore resulted in more people trying to remodel or repair the interior of their homes on their own. While this is good, unfortunately, this trend is not only popular to homeowners but among renters as well. A tenant who cares for the rental home is always good; however, a tenant who takes it a bit too far is not. With a few practical solutions, Chubbuck property owners can prevent unwanted tenant “improvements” and keep their rental homes in good condition.
When it comes to making home improvements, the kitchen and bathroom are the most common targets. A lot of these popular videos teach passionate do-it-yourselfers how to paint cabinets, change faucets and hardware, and replace light fixtures. Trendy improvements in these rooms also include tile backsplashes and brightly painted walls. When done correctly, these kinds of minor remodels can result in unique interior spaces.
The issue here is that custom interiors do nothing to add to your property’s value. Actually, if your tenant does a meager job of their attempted enhancements, your property value could even go down. For example, if your tenant decides to hang wallpaper in the living room, they could not only damage the painted exterior beneath but also make a wall-to-wall monstrosity that will be costly to rebuild.
Since personal likings vary widely, custom interiors can also severely curb your ability to rent the home to a new tenant. An accent wall in fuchsia may be right to your current renter, but the next one may not find it attractive. Conversely, if your tenant injures themselves or damages the home’s plumbing or electrical systems in the process, that creates an entirely new set of problems, if they manage to crack a pipe or incorrectly connect the fitting while changing a bathroom faucet, you may be cleaning up leaks and water damage that otherwise would not have occurred.
Though minor care tasks can and should be expected of a renter, mending or remodeling of any of the home’s permanent elements should be discouraged in the lease. Another proactive strategy is to perform regular property evaluations, something that Real Property Management Pocatello offers all of our property owners in Chubbuck and the surrounding areas. We will keep an eye on your rental home, making sure the tenant is holding the property in the desired condition and promptly handling any tenant requests for improvements or repairs. Contact us online or call us at 208-234-1000 to see what we can do for you.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.