Are you planning on buying a new rental property in Salinas or elsewhere in the Monterey County area? If so, even though you won’t always have to fix the property up to get it in rental condition, there are five things that you should replace in a new rental property.
Toilet
Even though most landlords operate by the principle of “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”, the reality is that a leaky toilet can be the biggest thing that sucks money out of your pocket each month if you’re paying the water bill.
Leaky toilets can run 24-7 so this is one thing you should always replace by default after you’ve purchased a new rental property.
Locks
Yes, you should always replace the locks on a rental property that you just purchased (even if they look new) because you never know who had keys to those locks in the past and if they are still “floating around” out there.
Tip – If you own multiple rental properties you can save the locks that you replaced and use those locks on another rental property especially if they are in good condition.
Light Bulbs
Although they can be annoying to change, light bulbs are another item that you should always replace after purchasing a new investment property because changing the bulbs will eliminate your new tenant calling you with requests to change the bulbs and changing them yourself will ensure that they are changed correctly.
Outlets
Another great thing to replace every time you purchase a new rental property is the outlets. These are important to change out because many older homes have outlets that are 50-60 years old and could create a potential electrical fire so it’s best to get them replaced before you attempt to rent the place out.
Fire Extinguishers and Smoke Alarms
Last of all, but most important, you should always change out the fire extinguishers and smoke alarms in a rental property because you just don’t know how old those safety items really are and it’s best to replace them with new ones just so you can have confidence that your investment property will be protected in case of a fire there.
Contact 36 North Property Management
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