Preventing Do-It-Yourself “Improvements” Gone Wrong at Your Semmes Rental Property

There is an increasing trend for do-it-yourself home improvements; nowadays you see these short videos showing ‘hacks’ that were meant to make home improvements easier. Reality shows and social media have hyped the trend, even more, giving the impression that anybody can remodel or repair the interior of their homes. However, this is far from reality as this trend isn’t just popular with homeowners, but among renters as well. While landlords prefer a tenant who will take care of their rental homes as if it were their own, some renters tend to take things a bit too far. With some practical applications, Semmes property owners can prevent unwanted tenant “improvements” and keep their rental homes in good condition.

When it comes to making home improvements, the kitchen and bathroom are the most frequent targets. Most viral do-it-yourselfers show themselves enthusiastically painting cabinets, changing faucets and hardware, and replacing light fixtures. Trendy improvements in these rooms also include tile backsplashes and brightly painted walls. When done rightly, these kinds of minor remodels can produce unique interior spaces.

The issue now is that these custom interiors add nothing to your property’s value. In reality, if your tenant does a meager job of their improvements, your property value could even plummet. For instance, if your tenant decides to suspend wallpaper in the living room, they could not only damage the painted surface underneath but also create a wall-to-wall monstrosity that will be too costly to bring back to what it initially looked like.

Because personal tastes differ extensively, custom interiors can also severely limit your capability to rent the home to a new tenant. An accent wall in fuchsia may appeal to your current renter, but the next one may not find it attractive. Alternatively, if your tenant hurts themselves or destroys the home’s plumbing or electrical systems in the process, that creates an entirely new set of complications. 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 happened.

While minor maintenance tasks can and should be anticipated of a renter, maintenances or the remodeling of any of the home’s permanent elements should be discouraged in the lease. Another proactive strategy is to complete regular property evaluations, something that Real Property Management Azalea City offers all of our property owners in Semmes and the surrounding areas. We will make sure that your rental home is being tended to, checking if the tenant is keeping the property in the desired condition and punctually handling any tenant requests for improvements or repairs. Contact us online or call us at 251-345-6224 to see what we can do for you.