As a landlord, you need to have the right equipment and professional services to prepare a rental unit for the next tenant to move in after the previous tenant has moved out. This unit "turning' prepares the unit for the next residents to live in so they can have a safe and pleasant time residing there. Here are some tips to help you get your rental home ready and safe for its next occupants.
Maintain the Property's Exterior Locks
When a tenant moves out of a rental home, no matter if you collected all the keys to the unit or not, you should always have the locks changed so a new set of keys access the property. The reason for this is even though you may have collected any keys you originally gave them, you don't know if they made any copies of the keys. For safety and protection of your new tenants and your protection from liability, take some time to get the locks rekeyed.
You can easily hire a locksmith, such as from Bob's Lock & Key, to come to the property and rekey the existing locks for a new key. This changes the interior of the lock and its tumblers to accept a new key with a different cut from the old key. So if someone tries to use the old key to enter the property, the key will no longer work.
If your locks have begun to stick or the key has trouble entering the lock, while your locksmith is at the property you can have them lubricate the interior with lock graphite. This powder loosens the interior of the lock to make it function smoothly once again. Using an oil spray inside a lock is not recommended, as the oil can collect dirt and dust to cause it to become sticky once again.
Clean the Home Interior
Cleaning the interior of the property will also get the unit ready for new tenants. Cleaning the carpets, walls, and other surfaces can remove dirt, dust, pet stains, and tobacco smoke odors, but also any allergens and mold growth that may be present. Mold growth inside your rental unit can pose a health hazard to your tenants, as many types of mold can cause various types of health ailments.
After remedying the cause of the mold growth, it is recommended to clean up any mold growth thoroughly wearing proper protective gear and dispose of contaminated materials you can't remove the mold growth from, such as carpet padding, and molded drywall. Bag up the moldy items and dispose of them into the trash. It is also recommended to hire a professional mold remediation service if the mold covers more than ten square feet.
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