With respect to rental home ownership nationwide, learning about and staying up to date on the state of each home’s exterior elements is just as crucial as presuming when to replace the carpet or repaint the walls.
Whether you’re renting out an older property or a newly built home, ascertaining the age of each item and how long it can, within reason, be expected to last is a critical part of successful rental property management.
Importance of Maintaining Your Property’s Exterior
A good landlord or property manager really understands the healthy lifespan of common exterior elements of your rental property. A product’s lifespan is the time period it should last conforming to standard conditions. As a sample: a quality cement patio holds out upwards of 50 years because of the exceedingly durable nature of cement. But, in contrast, wooden decks only last about ten years, given their sensitivity to the natural elements.
For your quick guide, we’ve listed a few common exterior items and their average lifespan:
- Garage Door: 15 years
- Automatic Garage Door Opener: 5-10 years
- Wood Fence: 10 years
- Stucco Exterior: 20-50+ years
- Vinyl Siding: 25 years
It’s substantial to consider how long an element is expected to last in your property, primarily if your tenant brings about damage beyond normal wear and tear. To cite an instance, if the vinyl siding, which is over 25 years old, gets damaged, the tenant shouldn’t be held responsible for the repair cost. But, however, if the vinyl siding is less than 25 years old, the renter would probably be obliged to pay some or all the repair costs.
Stay Ahead of Property Damage
Rather than spend time and money on an aimless judicial process, the commendable option to comply with is to be ahead of property damage. With the right information and a proactive system for property management, it’s significantly possible to manage and keep every single component of the rental home – both in and out– in very good condition. Surely replacing items beyond their serviceable lives is one way to avoid bearing the full cost of repairs due to tenant negligence. Another is putting into effect regular property evaluations to properly check on various areas of the rental home.
Real Property Management Victory extends a full property management program that includes preparing for the years to come with maintenance plans, property evaluations, and so much more. We have the requisite equipment and know-how to take proper care of your Pelham real estate investments worthily and profitably for the foreseeable future. Contact us online or at 205-793-0700 today!
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