3 Vital Landlord Roles for Rental Improvement Projects

In the past, when an improvement was needed, I would call a contractor or handyman—depending on the requirements and building regulations—and let them decide how to address the issue. If their plan sounded reasonable, I mostly left the decisions up to them.

Today, with the abundance of materials and product choices, combined with the visual nature of marketing, I believe project design and implementation cannot be left solely to labor specialists.

To stay within budget relative to anticipated rent, I personally handle certain tasks to minimize costs and ensure quality results. Investing in quality materials, innovative products that save our renter-guests time or money and enabling skilled labor leads to successful outcomes such as reduced vacancy periods, higher demand compared to existing competition, and the potential for higher rent due to added value.

Here are some tips from the 2019 rental upgrade 'Before and After' project shown here.

Be the Project Clean Up Person:

Whole unit cleanings are done by professional cleaners before tenant occupancy at my cost. When tenants vacate the property, professional cleaning is performed according to the lease terms. Thus, the unit is professionally cleaned both before and after occupancy.

The cleaning I am referring to is the clean-up after improvements or significant repairs are made during vacancies. Besides providing good exercise, being present at the project site has many benefits. It is helpful when design revisions need to be made on the spot, and it allows you to understand the reasons behind a revision or task. You gain a good grasp of the time involved, the level of skill required, and the cost.

Be the Project Shopper and Return Person:

Buy materials and supplies in advance and arrange for their delivery to the site. Project purchases go on my charge card, allowing me to make returns and saving valuable skilled labor hours. This ongoing learning about construction, supplies, sources, materials, and product options greatly benefits my DIY planning and designing rental upgrades.

Be the Information Manager:

While on the job, take photos of appliance specifications, especially the model and serial numbers. Ensure the print is readable in your photos.

Record the filter sizes for your HVAC and their locations. This information will be handy when you're at a home improvement store trying to remember the sizes.

With todays' abundance of paint options - colors, whether flat, semi-gloss, high-gloss, oil based, satin - you get the picture, right - matching paint for touch-ups or repainting can cost a lot of time and for mistakes, money. Having this information on hand, offers savings for you, the property manager and skilled labor performing the work.

I also adopted a practice of labeling the paint cans as to location which makes it easier for you or the property manager to see if paint is stored on site or needed before sending the handyperson or professional painter to the property.

I hope you find these tips helpful for your rental improvement projects. Please feel free to share your tips in the Comments below.