New tenants will move into a new property with hope in their hearts but dread of finding dirt and mould, poor furniture, strange smells and other issues. As a landlord creating a strong tenant customer experience is key to building a positive relationship with tenants and keeping through the life of the rental property. To keep things clean, follow these steps.
A Good First Impression is Vital, Starting With the Exterior
Starting with the outside, where possible for a shared property, all common surfaces should be cleaned or painted, and any broken or old furnishings replaced. Even if they are not your direct concern, tidying up the outside creates a good impression and will improve your standing and that of your tenants with neighbours, creating potential future business.
Also, test the doorbell, intercom, videocom and other systems all work, while ensuring fire escapes are accessible and safe, making any necessary complaints to building management.
If your tenant is moving into a private property, ensure the gardens, driveway and other external spaces are neat and tidy. Remove any weeds, any old rubbish or unsightly poor plants.
Create A Clean Impressive Interior
Once within the confines of the rental property, a more orderly and measured approach is needed. If previously occupied, get a professional steam-cleaning or regular cleaners team to deep clean all surfaces, fabrics and appliances throughout the property. Ask if the tenant has any allergies or sensitivities and go with a steam-cleaning if that will reduce the chance of them feeling unwell or having a bad first reaction.
Tackling the Kitchen
As the landlord checks the cleaners specifically address these areas, or if you take on cleaning priorities personally, perform a thorough deep clean around all surfaces including the inside of the oven, extractor fan, cupboard floors and tops, and in areas like under the fridge or splashbacks.
Check that all the appliances work, and there’s nothing untoward like blinking lights, excessive whirring fan noises or pipes grumbling. Replace any faulty items or those that look unappealing. Get a plumber to check any suspect pipework for leaks or blockages throughout the rental property, and replace any poor-looking existing work.
Making the Living Room A Home
For the living room, ensure all carpets and any provided furnishings are deep cleaned, especially if pets or smokers have been in the property. Check under rugs and furnishings for hidden wine stains, any sign of damage, and that all the wiring and electricals are in working order.
Make enquiries about the status of the telephone, TV provider and broadband internet connection so your tenants can move swiftly to get the modern essentials up and running, and that any devices or connected services are running, or easy to access.
Be a Cleaning Boss in the Bedroom(s)
Any bedroom should ideally be emptied of furniture and cleaned from the ground up to ensure that any evidence of the previous tenants is removed. That will include powerful vacuuming or steam-cleaning, washing down the walls and behind heaters or radiators, and deep cleaning all storage areas.
Ensure all shelves and drawers function as expected and there are no unwanted surprises down the backs of draw or other units. Replace all bedding as a rule to give a great first impression in your rental property, and check that the mattresses look as-new, and feel firm and unbroken, or replace those as well.
Nuke the Bathroom
New tenants can get an instant icky feeling about any sign of that lived-in look in the bathroom and toilets, so ensure that these are deeply cleaned, and any sign of use is eradicated, from new toilet seats to clean grouting, and ensuring that down the plug holes are free of hair and other issues.
Mirrors should be uncracked and secure, while any handles or rails, especially in senior-living rents, should be secure. Scrub every surface until it looks brand new, and replace anything that isn’t up to that standard. A new shower panel is probably a good idea if required.
Also, check the plumbing, water temperature, for mold in corners, and behind any bath panels or other areas that are typically not visible.
Halls, Entryways and Other Areas
If there are any fire alarms, CO2 alarms or other sensors in any of these areas, check that they work, and are dust free. Replace them if they look to be approaching end-of-life. Across halls, ensure that they are bright and tidy, with modern bulbs or new lights to improve the brightness of any dingy corners.
If there are any security cameras within the property, ensure that the new tenants have access to them, and that they can disable access for any previous tenants, or simply replace them with new models.
Final Steps
Having put all that effort into preparing a clean and first-class experience for your tenants, make sure you photograph everything so you can prove how it was handed over. You should explore the benefits of a rent guarantee to maximise your revenue in case of late or non-payment, eviction, tenant-related repairs and other problems.
Finally, leave something more original than a gift basket based on your knowledge of the rental property tenants, from a practical toolset for people who were keen on adding their own touches, to a child-proofing kit for those moving in with children.