Do-it-yourself home improvements are all the craze presently. Reality shows and social media have fostered the idea that all kinds of people can experiment with the remodel or repair the interior of their homes on their own. Regrettably, this trend isn’t just common with homeowners, but among renters as well. While landlords favor a tenant who will attend to their rental home as if it were their own, some renters take it a bit extreme. With a few proactive policies, Ogden property owners can prevent unwanted tenant “improvements” and keep their rental homes in good condition.
When it comes to performing home improvements, the kitchen and bathroom are the most familiar targets. Thousands of videos explain to eager do-it-yourselfers how to paint cabinets, change faucets and hardware, and repair light fixtures. Contemporary improvements in these rooms also incorporate tile backsplashes and brightly painted walls. When done rightly, these kinds of minor remodels can result in unique interior spaces.
The difficulty is that custom interiors do nothing to add to your property’s value. In fact, if your tenant does a lousy job, your property value could even go downward. For example, if your tenant decides to hang wallpaper in the living room, they could not only damage the painted surface underneath but also create a wall-to-wall eyesore that will be expensive to restore.
For the reason that personal tastes differ extensively, custom interiors can also severely limit your ability to lease the home to a new tenant. An accent wall in fuchsia may be pleasing to your current renter, but the next one may not find it too attractive. In contrast, if your tenant hurts themselves or damages the home’s plumbing or electrical systems in the process, that creates an entirely new set of problems. If they manage to crack a pipe or incorrectly connect the fitting while changing a bathroom faucet, you may be cleaning up leaks and water damage that otherwise would not have occurred.
While minor maintenance tasks can and should be expected of a renter, repairs or the remodeling of any of the home’s permanent elements ought to be discouraged in the lease. One more proactive strategy is to complete regular property evaluations, a process that Real Property Management Northern Utah offers to all of our property owners in Ogden and the surrounding areas. We will keep an eye on your rental home, making sure the tenant is maintaining the property in the desired condition and quickly taking care of any tenant requests for developments or repairs. Contact us online or call us at 801-546-1770 to see what we can do for you.
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