Tenants moving out is never a good thing, but if you’re properly prepared, you can get them out and new tenants in as quickly as possible. While there is a multi-step process involved, you can start preparing as soon as your tenants issue a notice of leave, inform you that they are moving out, or you have them evicted. Whatever the case, you can use the following advice from local Woodinville property managers to stay on track and get ready for new tenants.
Put the Unit Back on the Market
The sooner you start advertising, the sooner you can start making money off of the unit again. If you don’t think that the apartment requires major upgrades or maintenance, then use any old photos you have, or take new ones, and start advertising the unit again. If you schedule showings for just after the tenants move out, you can already have interested parties within a week of them moving out.
Remind the Tenant of their Responsibilities
The first thing that you should do for the tenant is to remind them that they are responsible for cleaning and leaving the apartment or home as they left it. If they do not, then they could face repair and service charges, which are more expensive when you have to handle it for them. Offer them a moving out checklist, and if you like, offer references to moving companies.
Perform an Inspection
If you had a professional inspection before the tenant moved in then call them in to perform a final inspection. They will compare any damages and differences and let you know about any damage. If not, you can also choose to inspect the home yourself.
Handle Any Repairs
Most tenants will leave some damage, this is normal, and they usually have to pay for it under Washington law. Simply catalogue and photograph the damage, hire someone to repair it, and send the tenant the bill or detract it from their security deposit. If the home requires cleaning, has burnt out bulbs, or suffers from neglect, you can also deduct the repair or replacement from the security deposit.
Make Upgrades as Necessary
Once the tenants have fully moved out, you should inspect the area, make sure that everything is up to date. In some cases this means upgrading appliances, changing carpeting, or replacing kitchen sets. Whatever the differences, make sure that you make the changes quickly before you put the home up on the market.
Double Check With Utilities
It is also important to double check with utility companies to ensure that the previous tenants turned their utilities off and paid them in full. In fact, you should ask for receipts for final bills before you give the security deposit back to ensure that you don’t get stuck with their utility bills.
If you have a Woodinville property management company then you won’t have to worry about any of this because your property managers will handle all of it for you. In fact, property managers like SJA even handle finding replacement tenants, so that all you have to worry about is getting your rent money.