If you’re feeling ready to find a tenant for your Cleveland rental property, you need to make sure it’s ready to be marketed and shown. Inexperienced owners will rush the process, and that’s a bad idea. When you offer your rental home without making sure it’s move-in ready, you risk disappointing a lot of the prospective tenants who see it.
Take these steps to creating a rent ready property so you can eliminate long vacancies and attract the best renters for your investment.
Cleveland Rental Homes Should be Empty and Clean
Your first step is to clean out the property completely. If there are lingering belongings that were left behind by former tenants or owners, make sure they’re cleared out. Take out any trash, and have the property completely cleaned before you start taking marketing photos or listing the home for rent. Hire professional cleaners who will do a thorough job, ensuring that even the baseboards are dusted and the faucets are polished.
Inspect the Home to Ensure Everything Works
A rent ready home is a move-in ready home. You don’t want to show a property that’s missing appliances or is in the middle of being painted. Take care of all these things before you place your ads and schedule your showings.
Conduct an inspection so you know that everything works. Test all the outlets and run the appliances. Turn on the faucets and check beneath sinks for leaks or soft spots. Open and close each door and window and make sure they lock. Turn on the heat and the air conditioning. If there are any issues – regardless of how minor – make sure they’re taken care of before you begin renting your home.
This will not only provide your new tenants with a functioning home, it will also prevent early maintenance calls right after they move in.
Create Some Curb Appeal to Attract Cleveland Tenants
First impressions count. You’ll need some inviting curb appeal that makes your Cleveland rental property look as appealing and welcoming as possible.
Evaluate the home’s exterior, and if you think it can benefit from fresh paint or a quick power wash, get to work on those things. Make sure the lawn is mowed and well-landscaped. Remove any debris or trash bins. Clean out the gutters and trim back the tree branches. Make sure there isn’t any overgrowth that’s covering the windows. Check the exterior lighting and make sure the front door is clean, free of cobwebs, and fresh.
If the front of your property doesn’t look great, your prospective tenants won’t bother going in to see it. Create an attractive first impression.
Take Some Great Marketing Photos
Once the property is looking as good as it can, you’ll want to take some fantastic photos for your listing. Tenants will not rush to see your description; they’re going to scroll through the pictures first. If your home looks rent ready in the listing, you’ll have tenants calling to see it.
These are some of the first steps we always recommend to anyone renting out a Cleveland property. We can help you have a smooth and efficient leasing process. To hear about our extensive Cleveland property management services, please contact our team at IIP Management. We work with owners in Cleveland Heights, Lakewood, Lyndhurst, Parma, Solon, and South Euclid (Cuyahoga County).
