With the weather warming up, and many people stuck at home, now is the perfect time to clear out the dust that’s accumulated through the winter and make your tenant’s home feel like new again. As a landlord or property manager, this is a great time to do some maintenance and encourage your tenants to do some work that will help them keep their security deposits. A good way to hint at this is leaving a list of potential tasks for your tenants within a newsletter or flyer you hang on their door.
Tenant’s List:
Wash Walls, Cabinets, Baseboards, and Woodwork
Wipe down each surface with a dry cloth to remove any excess dust that has accumulated. Follow with an undyed cloth and warm, soapy water. Work from the top-down, ensuring you get all fans, doorways, and any other hard to reach places. Check that the walls next to furniture haven’t been scuffed in any way.
Wash Window Screens and Sill
Throughout the year, you’ve probably washed your windows many times, but most people forget about the sill and the screens. Remove the screen from the window and spray with a garden hose, then scrub with soapy water to remove all dirt. Wipe sills with a wet, soapy cloth to clear all dust and dirt as well.
Vacuum Low-Traffic Areas
This is a great time to get all of those places you usually skip over such as in closets and under furniture. Move all of your furniture and items from closets to ensure you are able to get everywhere and avoid the accumulation of dust.
Landlord’s List:
Exterior and Landscaping
Spring is the perfect time to clean the exterior of the property and create curb appeal. Make sure the gutters are clear of debris such as leaves, twigs, or other organic material. Power wash the exterior of your buildings to clear away any gathered grime from the winter. This is also a great time to plant some flowers, prune your bushes, and rake away the last bits of winter. Also, be sure to check any crawl spaces for signs of pests that have burrowed there during the cold.
Change Furnace Filters
While you’re in the cleaning mood, it’s a good time to take care of some yearly maintenance work such as changing the furnace filters in each property. This will ensure that the heating will continue working through another winter and will allow you to focus on other things later in the year.
Change Batteries in Smoke Detectors
Another yearly maintenance task you can knock out now is changing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This will ensure your tenants are safe and allow you to prevent a potential lawsuit.