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Jul 06
2010
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Taking Care of Vacated Units
Posted by: Buildium LLC on Jul 6, 2010 09:33 Tagged in: Vendor , Property Management Software , Property Management , Multifamily Insiders , Apartment Marketing , Apartment
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The last box has been hauled down the stairs and the moving van has pulled away from the curb. Now that your former tenant has vacated his apartment, it’s time for you to get to work, flipping the unit in preparation for the new tenant that’s on her way. We’ve talked about the differences between normal wear and tear versus damages previously—so now let’s take a look at what tasks you can expect to complete on a routine basis when a tenant moves out of one of your units.
Cleaning Appliances
No matter how cleanly your former tenant was—and even if he cleaned the apartment himself prior to vacating—chances are some spots were missed. And some of the most common missed spots that require your attention are appliances, such as stoves, refrigerators, and built-in microwaves.
Cleaning Floors and Laying Carpet
Flooring is another one of those areas that may still be a bit grimy upon your previous tenant’s departure. As with the appliances, you will want to make sure that they are all thoroughly clean for your next tenant. Don’t just clean—use this opportunity to get rid of scuffs, stains, and any other markings that may be more permanent than just dirt. If you have hardwood floors, you may want to consider adding a coat of wax while you’re at it. Not only will it look great for your next tenant’s arrival, but it will also protect the floor against nicks and scratches from your next tenant. If you’re dealing with carpet, you will either want to rent a carpet-cleaning machine or bring in a professional to take care of the job. In addition to visually freshening up the unit, carpets can also hold odor, so you want to get rid of any lingering scents before your new tenant arrives. If the existing carpet is worn out, be sure to re-carpet altogether in between tenants.
Removing Nails and Patching Holes
Here’s a common one–removing nails from paintings and other fixtures hung by the previous tenant. Not only will you want to remove the nails, but also to patch up the holes left in their wake. You can hire a handyman to take care of this, but spackling kits from hardware stores are inexpensive (think less than $5) and make the process fairly straight-forward (unless, that is, you’re like one of our customers who had a tenant that left 444 nails in the apartment upon vacating it). When patching up holes left behind by nails, also be sure you have paint on hand to blend the area with the rest of the wall.
Paint
Speaking of paint, here’s another common one. You’ll want to carefully survey the unit to make sure that the paint job is fresh and new, fixing up any scuffs, scratches, or peels. In many cases, it’s easier just to re-paint altogether. Not only does a new paint job spiff up the apartment for your new tenant, but it also makes it easier for you to evaluate any damage incurred the next time you flip the unit. To avoid problems down the line, make sure that you keep extra cans of paint around to match pre-existing paint jobs in your unit.
The good news about the most common unit-flipping tasks is that most of them are do-it-yourself-friendly. When determining whether to take care of each unit on your own or with the help of a handyman or professional cleaner, evaluate the condition of each unit and determine whether or not the time and effort it will take you to accomplish these tasks justifies the cost of hiring a third-party.
