Part of enjoying a home is customizing a living space, and renters are no different. Residents want to be able to create a comfortable aesthetic space when they rent a home. But a rental property is not like a home where the owner resides in it. Renters and owners of single-family rental homes in Mountain House are aware that any changes made to the interior of the home require consent from the landlord. When residents of your rental homes go past furniture and décor and opt to make unauthorized changes, this could put you in a difficult situation as the owner.
The best residents are the ones who inquire before performing interior changes to your rental property. After a resident has signed the lease, they will sometimes decide they want to alter some aspects of the home. Maybe they want to install new bathroom fixtures, change the blinds or other window coverings, set up a new light fixture or ceiling fan, paint the kitchen cabinets, or perhaps even paint some or all of the walls a different color.
Part of you might be considering allowing them to remodel your home for you at their own expenses. There are a few things to keep in mind, however, before saying yes. Probably the most crucial of these is quality. If your resident is making the modifications themselves, there is no guarantee that its quality will meet any professional standard. Actually, if they do a really poor job, it could negatively affect the value of your property and then cost you even more money to fix later.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that trends in interior design quickly change. Painted cabinets may be popular now, but in a year or two, you might learn that residents want more natural wood tones. While it is completely within your rights to charge a departing resident for any needed repairs, keeping your rental house neutral is still the most cost-effective option.
As a rule, residents who violate the terms of their lease and go ahead making unauthorized alterations are responsible for returning the home to how you want it when they leave. Of course, some residents will do their best to avoid the expense of involving putting the home back the way it was when they originally came, possibly leading to expensive collections or even legal action.
When residents start doing unauthorized changes to your Mountain House property, it can be hard to know what’s your next step. This is why you must get the right property management company to select quality residents who will take care of your property for you, manage matters, and take action to protect your real estate investment if and when it is needed.
At Real Property Management One, we offer all of these services — and more — to homeowners of single-family rentals. Our expert property managers can create a maintenance program tailor-made to you while also handling the hassles and pains of dealing with lease violations. Would you like to learn more? For more information, please contact us online or call us at 925-794-8339.
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.
