Unexpected rental vacancies aren’t ideal, but it’s part of the business. Maybe your resident has to move out early for a military assignment. Or there’s an emergency that requires a tenant to relocate. Life happens.
Still, a surprise vacancy can put you in a state of emergency until it’s reoccupied. Without much notice, you’ll have to prepare for your property to be empty. Then, scramble to find a new renter quickly to limit rental revenue loss. Thankfully, if you plan ahead a surprise vacancy can be less stressful.
Checklist for Preparing Properties for Vacancy
First, make plans to unplug the water lines to the fridge and washer as soon as your tenant lets you know they’re moving. Why? If your tenant unplugs their appliances for the move and there’s a problem with the line, you’re going to have a flood. Secure all the water lines immediately to avoid major damage.
Next, rekey the property and reset the passcode to the garage. When your resident moves out they should no longer have access.
Then, check the landscape watering schedule. The yard must be watered while the property sits vacant and sometimes tenants will turn off the sprinklers to save money on the water bill. If the water is off you’re going to have a sad-looking lawn and dead grass is an eyesore you don’t want greeting prospective tenants when they drive up for a tour.
Finally, make sure the utilities are still connected. This is especially important in the summer months when the heat is unbearable. You need air conditioning running to avoid heat related damage. In the winter months, the air needs to be flowing as well otherwise your pipes can freeze and burst. And again, if the utilities are off that means the sprinklers are off and your yard needs a working system to look it’s best.
How to Minimize Vacancy Loss
When a tenant leaves without notice, you need to limit the amount of time you go without collecting rent. When this happens, we’ll manage the entire process from preparing your vacancy to finding a new renter if a tenant bails on you.
Our team is on site within 24 to 48 hours after a tenant moves out to go through our vacancy and make-ready checklist. Sometimes vacancies are impossible to predict, but we can help relieve the stress of finding a qualified tenant in a pinch. Take advantage of our 30 years of combined experience and surprise vacancies will be less painful.
Need help preparing your DFW property for vacancy? Give us a call at 888-657-3033.
