Stopping The Colony Tenant “Improvements” in Their Tracks

The key to keeping track of your The Colony rental property is to make sure that you are considering not only what’s on the inside, but mainly the outside appearance as well. Your rental home’s property values can be affected by how it looks like on the outside plus the impact that it has on the home’s curb appeal. It follows then that when planning upkeep, exterior elements have to be monitored at the same time to set a clear expectation on your tenants on their part in keeping it looking nice.

However, there are moments when your idea of a “nice” interior does not agree with what your tenant wants, and when that happens, problems usually follow. Some renters who are not happy with simply maintaining their yard tend to go beyond what is expected of them and will try and alter or add to the rental home’s exterior features. With all the do-it-yourself home improvements becoming more and more popular, chances are your tenants will attempt to make “improvements” with or without your consent.

One typical example is when your tenant may feel like a patio umbrella is not enough, and they would rather go with a pergola. Although it may seem harmless enough to allow them to construct one in the backyard, this is a hotbed for permit violations, damage to the property, and even personal injuries. (If someone was hurt you may have a big legal mess on your hands, on top of everything else.) Broken sprinkler or gas lines, damaged siding, and poor workmanship can all spell dollars’ worth of renovations and unsafe conditions in the yard.

The same goes for other popular home improvements, such as painting, replacing the garage door or adding a deck or porch. Unique personal preferences and/or low-quality remodeling lower property values, make it harder to rent it out. In a nutshell, it just isn’t a good idea to have tenants making alterations by themselves.

The best strategy is to stop home “improvement” projects before they start. Create clear language within the lease to emphasize that tenants are banned from making permanent changes to The Colony rental property. It is also important to monitor your property consistently, making sure that a sneaky tenant hasn’t taken matters into their own hands. Of course, this takes time away from doing other things.

That’s when you should pick up the phone and give Real Property Management Legend a call. We perform regular property evaluations designed to stop unauthorized tenant improvements in their tracks. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us online or by phone at 214-235-2427.