Relative to rental home ownership nationwide, distinguishing and keeping on top of the state of each home’s exterior elements is just as key as thinking when to replace the carpet or repaint the walls.
Whether you’re renting out an older property or a newly built home, ascertaining the age of each item and how long it can comparatively be expected to last is an essential part of successful rental property management.
Importance of Maintaining Your Property’s Exterior
A good landlord or property manager is able to ascertain well the healthy lifespan of common exterior elements of your rental property. A product’s lifespan is the time it supposedly will last, taking into consideration standard conditions. For instance: a quality cement patio could last upwards of 50 years, given the immensely durable nature of cement. However, by contrast, wooden decks only last about ten years, given their sensitivity to the natural elements.
For instant reference, we’ve listed a few common exterior items and their average lifespan:
- Garage Door: 15 years
- Automatic Garage Door Opener: 5-10 years
- Wood Fence: 10 years
- Stucco Exterior: 20-50+ years
- Vinyl Siding: 25 years
It’s pertinent to be acquainted with how long an element is expected to last in your property, notably if your tenant creates damage beyond normal wear and tear. For a case in point, if the vinyl siding, which is over 25 years old, gets damaged, the tenant shouldn’t be held responsible for the repair cost. Anyhow, if the vinyl siding is less than 25 years old, the renter would likely be charged for paying some or all the repair costs.
Stay Ahead of Property Damage
Rather than spend time and money on a valueless judicial process, the suggested option to perform is to be ahead of property damage. With the pertinent and right information and a proactive system for property management, it’s essentially possible to manage and keep every single component of the rental home – both in and out– in a fair appearance. Naturally replacing items, at regular periods, beyond their applicable, useful lives is one way to avoid bearing the full cost of repairs because of tenant negligence. Another is undertaking regular property evaluations to investigate the state of the various areas of the rental home.
Real Property Management Platinum renders a full property management program that envelops preparing in the years ahead with maintenance plans, property evaluations, and so much more. We have the equipment and productive experience to operate your Harlan Ranch real estate investments, making them exceedingly profitable for the impending future. Contact us online or at 559-425-8550 today!
Originally Published on March 22, 2019
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.
