Some landlords make the mistake of not having their rental properties cleaned during the offseason. If you are one of the many landlords who are torn between whether or not to clean their rental properties during the offseason, think again. This article looks at the reasons why you should have your rental property cleaned during the offseason and the benefits that come with it.
- To Maintain The Aesthetic Value Of The Property
Just like with any other building, the main benefit that people reap from having a clean house is the aesthetic appeal. No one hates a clean and appealing place. Going for so long without cleaning a house may make it lose its aesthetic value in the end. This is because the paint on the walls and the sealant on the floor may come off and reduce the shelf life of these two places. Having your rental property cleaned during the off-season may make it lose its aesthetic value and consequently, you will not get little or no occupancy when the high season resumes. At the same time, a rental property losing its aesthetic value is expensive to you since you will be forced to incur unnecessary costs with repairs and makeovers.
- For Pest Control
Another major benefit that comes with having a clean house, let alone a rental property, is pest control. A dirty house is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and pests. This is because when a house goes for long without some cleaning, dust will settle while moisture may accumulate inside. When these two combine, they become a perfect breeding ground for mold since the house is dark. The danger with this is that when you finally decide to clean your property, the mold levels may have hit the extreme levels where massive structural damage has occurred. What follows is the hefty unnecessary cost of mold remediation and structural repairs.
- To Identify Underlying Issues
Some issues like a faulty filter or leaking taps are usually detected when someone is doing the cleaning. For example, if you find too much dust on your surfaces even with regular house cleaning, it simply means the air filter is letting the dust back into your spaces since it is faulty. Failure to clean your rental property during an offseason means some serious and minor issues may go undetected. Come the high season when you finally decide to clean your rental property, what used to be underlying issues have now become serious, a point in which massive damage has happened.
- To Maintain Standard and Quality
As a landlord, your obligation is not just to collect rent from your tenants; you also owe it to them an environment that meets their safety, health, and sanitary standards. Having your rental property cleaned even during the off-season means the property remains clean throughout the season and come the high season, it will still be in the best habitable conditions. You can imagine the impression it would create if your seasonal guests learned that your rental property is only cleaned during the high season; they would not take this so well. You would then, as a result, experience little or no occupancy at all, and consequently low returns on your investment.
Besides, the department of housing has laid clear guidelines and rules for rental property owners. Among those includes fumigation, pest control, and of course standards of cleanliness. Failure to maintain such standards may drag you into incurring hefty fines, fighting legal battles in court, and worse still, your property may be closed indefinitely or permanently. That is a good enough reason to have your rental property cleaned during the offseason.
The secret to having an all year round occupancy of your rental property does not lie in just cleaning during an offseason, but in having a quality cleaning. Since not all cleaners can deliver quality services, ensure to vet your prospects by verifying their credentials. Once you land some good cleaning company in town, stick with them since finding one can sometimes be a little challenging. It will also prevent you from going back to the hassles of looking for another, while you stand to enjoy some discounts.