There’s a lot of ground to cover when tenants are moving in and out of your rental home, and you’re probably focused on the property and your own needs. Try to remember that moving is stressful for your new residents, and if you can provide a smooth and efficient move-in and move-out process, you’ll contribute to a positive rental experience for everyone.
Inspect the Property Prior to Tenants Moving In
Conduct a thorough inspection of the property before your tenants move into it. You want to make sure everything is functional and clean and ready for occupancy. Run all the faucets and flush all the toilets. Check the appliances and the electrical outlets to be sure they’re working. Turn on both the heat and the air conditioning, and check under sinks and tubs for leaks or drips. If there’s anything that needs a repair or a replacement, make sure you take care of it before the move-in date.
Cleaning is important. Providing a clean property at move-in shows your tenants that you care about them. It also sets a standard and demonstrates how you expect the property to look when they’re ready to move out.
Document the Property Condition
At both the move-in and move-out stages, you must conduct a thorough inspection of the property so you can document the condition of the home before the tenants moved in and after they lived there. This will help you determine if there is any damage that needs to be paid for out of their security deposit at the end of the lease term.
For the move-in inspection, give your tenants have an opportunity to conduct their own inspection and add any observations to the move-in report. After the move-out, do a similar inspection and compare the condition of the property to what it looked like before the tenancy. If there are any security deposit deductions, itemize them in detail so your tenants know why you’re keeping some of their deposit. This will help you avoid conflict and disputes.
Creating Positive Tenant Relationships
The move-in process is an excellent opportunity to establish a positive and respectful relationship with your new tenant. Consider a welcome gift to show new residents that you appreciate that they chose your property. Talk about expectations and responsibilities and make sure your residents understand everything in the lease agreement.
Effective Tenant Communication
Prioritize tenant communication during the lease period and when residents are moving in or out of the property. They may have questions about where to find things in the property when they’re moving in, and they may need some help with getting carpets cleaned or returning the keys and any remotes or other property when they’re moving out. Make sure you’re available and accessible.
These are just a few of the ways that we create a simple and informative move-in and move-out process for your tenants. If you have any questions about this or anything pertaining to professional property management services that may make the rental process easier on you, contact our team at Real Property Management Southwest Michigan.
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