Whether your lease is written that exterior maintenance is the responsibility of the tenant or is maintained by the landlord, the exterior maintenance and upkeep is as important as any interior aspect of your property. Just because you have a tenant currently, you are in the business of continuous occupancy. Be ever mindful of that. You never know when a current tenant is going to unexpectedly leave, regardless of lease, or when your next potential tenant is cruising through the neighborhood looking for their next rental. Whatever the situation may be, the exterior is the first thing seen when your property is being considered.
No matter the breakdown of responsibilities, you as the landlord/owner are where the buck stops. After all, you have everything to lose if your property is deemed undesirable. If you are not seeing to it personally, you absolutely must see to it that the tenant is, according to their lease. Things that are essential to your curb appeal are:
- If regular exterior painting is not for you, choose a low-maintenance option like siding or brick. Chipped paint dried out and split shingles, as the first impression, is a bad impression.
- Landscaping, even if the minimal is done, is worth the time and effort. Adding and then properly/regularly maintaining landscaping—shrubbery, flowers, mulch—is a must!
- Fix any hazards. You may think uneven pavers or cracked cement is no big deal, but the potential to harm your tenants and their guests could mean major problems in the future. Plus, it’s not aesthetically pleasing.
- Any unsightly damage should be handled expeditiously. Whether you think it’s not so major, believe that it could be a deterrent. (Warped roofing, sagging gutters, missing house numbers).
- Do not neglect back and side yards. Though they may be invisible to the Sunday passer-by, those that take a closer look will be looking at the house and land, as a whole.
Curb appeal is making your home stand out and making it inviting. You never want to personalize it so much that others can’t see themselves in your property, but you strive to appeal to as many as possible. You need to find that fine line between appealing and not alienating. Long story short, an appealing home is a rented home.
