Landlords: 10 ways to tenant-proof your properties so they are indestructible, best repairs for landlords to make

by | Indiana real estate, Indy Anna, Real Estate Investing

The best repairs for landlords to make for rentals that are tenant proof. 

As a landlord one of the most important decisions you’ll make is what repairs to make to your rentals.  If you do this correctly you’ll increase your lifetime ROI, your equity positions and overall net worth.  Here are some of the best repairs and upgrades to make to your rentals so that they are tenant proof, indestructible and immune to damage. 

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Now for today’s class on finding essential business rented commercial…

10 landlord rehab tips to tenant proof rentals BigReia.com

Landlords: 10 Ways to Tenant Proof Your Rentals

10 of the best repairs and upgrades landlords can do to make their rentals tenant proof and indestructible.

Also you can download the above guide in a .pdf by clicking HERE.

On average it can take a landlord 5-7 years before they have any positive cash flow, but making the property repairs can cut that time in half. The practice of being a landlord with tenants has been around for hundreds of years, but more recently there is a class of skilled landlords who are not only getting much higher ROIs but they are also dramatically reducing the time it takes to make these better returns and they doing it based on knowing how to repair and rehab properties the smart so that their rentals are tenant proof.

Today we will talk about the best repairs for a landlord to make on their rentals to avoid tenant damage and costs while increasing cap rates, we’ll talk about what repairs to make and how much to spend, how to get the highest ROI when rehabbing and fixing a property and how to make you rental indestructible to your tenants.

Understand your tenants better.

Tenants have little to no invested interest in your rental property beyond the time and furniture they have there in most cases. We’ve done other classes on ensuring quality renters, as well as finding quality PM’s- and be sure you check those out after this class for more help- but for now here’s what you can do ahead of time to tenant proof your property.

Remember that the “50% Rule” says that for the 3-5 years a rental will cost about 50% of the gross income. We can also use other valuation methods like using 1% of the property’s value as the yearly cost (so a $200k property will cost 2k/year), assuming the costs will be $1-2 per square foot or using 1.5 – 2x the rent (if rent is $1,000 a month that means a yearly cost of $1,500 – $2,000.

We got with some of the folks here in Indy we work with:

https://www.BigREIA.com/People

We went to them asked about this and here’s what they had to say about making your Indianapolis rental properties tenant proof:

How to tenant proof your Indianapolis rental, how to make sure your rental is protected before renters arrive…

Indy Anna explains:

10 repair and rehab tips that will give landlords the best ROI.

What lease agreements updates and terms you should include with your tenants.

We will also cover other best practices that will extend the lifetime value of your property AND tenants.

Not only will I be going over some of the best practices our Heroes are using right now but I’m also going to show you how to get direct help from our People AND how if you’re one of our investors I’ll make sure that ALL of these things are automatically done for you and your rentals.

Landlords: 10 Steps to Make Your Rentals Tenant Proof.

1.)  KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)

I kept hearing this phrase or the similar again and again in all my conversations about how to approach upgrades to your rentals. No, neither you, nor your tenants are stupid, but this is the best phrase to keep in mind when you’re applying logic to rentals. The more bells and whistles it has, the more likely it will cost to replace. A remote control starter, gas fireplace with dimmer flame settings for example is going to cost a LOT more to fix than a simple functioning wood burning fireplace. Same logic applies to smart/high tech vs low end appliances etc. Keep it simple.

2.)  “Come Here STUD!”

No, I don’t mean the kind you’re thinking of. Little nail holes are bound to happen as renters desire to hang small pictures up etc. What you don’t want is a wall full of holes. Each rental comes with it’s own handy dandy and under $20 stud finder. Get the lease right from the beginning and have it read:

“Picture hangers allowed only. For installation larger than picture hanger weight, submit in writing 14 days prior, tenant will pay $200 at lease term end for removal and drywall repair.”

This will prevent mounted TV’s, mounted exercise equipment, stripper poles in the living room etc. or you’ll know about these things in advance, and have the $200 ready from the security deposit to fix them later on.

3.)  High End Paint.

Yes, cheap paint is a LOT cheaper than high end paint, but you’ll be painting more often so it’s really not cheaper. A one time investment of high end, washable, stain hiding pain should last you through an average of two tenants or 1-2, 2 year lease terms. More upfront, less in time. Generally this more high end paint is less prone to scuff as well.

4.)  Appliance Basics.

We touched base on this in KISS, but worth it’s own mention. The more high-tech it is, the more it’s going to be to replace or fix.  No smart appliances in most rentals, nor are we working with eco friendly (sadly).  Eco friendly toilets use less water, and we’ve all seen bricks in water tanks using less water, but it decreases the flushing power and therefore the clogging likelihood.  Stay away from anything that a child would find fun, refrigerators for example with pull out freezer drawers; those are fun to sit on while you pick out your flavor popsicle and break. No ice makers, water dispensers etc.  All will in time break and need replaced or fixed.  Very basic, yet functional is the goal.

5.)  Flooring, No Carpet.

No carpet at all. If you have to use carpet, use indoor/outdoor carpet with no plush to it, go dark. These fibers are more resistant to animal nails and pulling or stretching. Indoor/outdoor carpet right now is in one of our properties and has been there for over 30 years, looks cheap, but does the job.  You can now get better, not so cheap looking versions.  No original hardwood floors – save them for the next investor that buys by laying down waterproof underlayment and go with a ‘floating laminate’ on top.  Generally use laminate and make sure the manufacturer has developed the tongue and groove to interlock well and pieces can be swapped out as needed.  Furniture pad use needs written into the lease terms, another way to have in writing that.

6.)  Screens.

This can go either way in being an item kept or taken out. If you’re keeping a screen, we are using a metal screen and not standard screening. You can replace it with other materials, but this will kill airflow and the reason for having a screen in the first place.

7.)  Doors.

Renters are mean to doors for some reason and they often need replacing. While these are not expensive, they can add up, as well as the drywall taking a beating. Door stops are the first line of protection, the second will be wall mounts that attach to the drywall where the knob can go through the wall if the door stops fails. Accordion doors on closets are never a good idea and need to be removed. Closet door tracks for sliding doors need to run into the subfloor with extra long screws as the screw mounts that come with these are never long enough and will come up with less than normal tension. Exterior doors need kickplates to prevent kick marks and can easily be purchased for around $20.

8.)  Mount It.

Anything you can mount ahead of time, you should immediately do. You’ll want to do this in the studs. This would include exterior shoe cleaners – think Western walking into a saloon, wiping your boots off style, shoes racks, key holders, coat racks, shelving. Nothing on wheels or movable, paper towel dispensers, towel bars, pull bars from toilets, etc. You want to prevent lawsuits for slip and falls now as well. Do anything that will protect the property ahead of time and/or before your renters would try to install themselves and mess up later on.

9.)  Pets.

Pets are okay with a weight limit. We might not be able in some states to go with a breed limit, but weight limits are still acceptable. Having a pet policy in the lease as well as pet fee each month will reduce the number of pets as well as the cost of damage they will create. There are also third party apps that can give you an idea of what to charge based on breed and weight that the tenant can apply for when they apply as a renter.

10.)  Counters.

Kitchens and vanity tops are going to be made from stain, heat and scratch proof materials. Now the very pro tip here is to have your crew cut an extra piece of the left over counter top and round off the sharp edges, leaving it on the kitchen counter. Make it as large as you can and leave it right out in the open to give your renters a ready made cutting board/cooling rack. This can be done in the owner’s suite bathroom as well, make it smaller in size and it can be used for flatirons/curling irons to be placed on.

So in Summary:

We’ve covered the TOP ten tenant proof rental updates

We’ve covered some leasing updates to ensure your bottom line

We also went over how to get help from some of our People at the page:

https://www.BigReia.com/People

Also if you’re one of our Heroes/Investors then as we rehab your properties we will make sure all of this is done for you.

Also make sure to go BigReia.com and get our list of over 100 FREE ways to find motivated sellers, we are providing the world’s clearest instructions on how anybody on the planet can create a passive income of at least $30,000 a month through real estate and business building:

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Also you can download the above guide in a .pdf by clicking HERE.

Go there and you’ll…

Make the Universe Smile.

Thanks so much! = )

~ Indy Anna

Want more (brilliantly) EPIC posts of real estate investing and bidness badasssery...?

There is a great post and class on the 38 Ways to Buy Apartment Buildings Zero Down with Pet Policies, and here are some other helpful and EPIC posts... for starters as a real estate investor if you ever want to build a business that makes you 30 grand a month then you MUST do this...

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Thanks so much!  = )

Make the Universe Smile.

~ Indy Anna
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