After a tenant vacates a unit after his leasing contract ends, the first thing a landlord usually thinks about is filling up the vacancy as soon as possible. Even though it’s easier to find new tenants now especially with online property listing platforms like Padleads.com, it might be more beneficial for a landlord in the long run if it will leave the unit vacant for a few days before turning it over to a new tenant.

As a landlord, this period of vacancy is a good time to ensure that your unit is still in top shape for habitation, to make upgrades or repairs that you can’t normally do mid-tenancy, replace worn-out appliances, and remove safety hazards. Doing all these will not only save you from possible tenant lawsuits in the future but could also justify a rent increase.

These tasks that you can do before a new tenant leases your unit vary in terms of cost and some of them is not always necessary because the condition of recently vacated units varies on how it was used by the previous tenant.

1. Remove Mold

Mold build-up is very common on previously inhabited units that were leased for a long time. It can commonly be found in damp areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms, especially if these areas are dark and have poor ventilation.

Scrub off mold in all nooks and crannies to prevent further growth. If possible, install exhaust fans in mold-prone rooms. Removing and preventing mold would be difficult to do if the unit is already occupied.

2. Check, Repair, or Replace Appliances

If you include appliances as features in your unit listing, you have to make sure that they work perfectly because that’s what your future tenant expects. For example, washing machines can be checked by washing and drying one load of clothes then checking the dryer vent because it may require some cleaning.

If some appliances are old and beyond repair, replace it if you think it will still add value to your unit becomes some appliances might already be obsolete in today’s lifestyle.

3. Change locks

Keep your units secure. You can never be sure that your previous tenant doesn’t have a duplicate key with him. You can also upgrade to keypunch locks so that you can change the code before each new tenant, rather than buying new locks every time.

4. HVAC tune-up

Most state property rental laws have a standard on the habitability of a rented unit. Temperature plays a big factor here. It is important to have not only good ventilation, but your furnace and cooling systems must be in great shape as well. A broken HVAC system is a big deal-breaker for every tenant.

Have a professional technician for this task because they are more apt to detect and address HVAC issues.

5. Repaint

A fresh coat of paint can spruce up a unit and make it look like new. Tenants nowadays put a lot of value on aesthetics. If you’re trying to market your unit to more high-end tenants, repainting might be a more feasible upgrade and another good reason for rent increase.

6.    Clean & Aromatize

If a unit has previously been used for a long period, some unpleasant odors might be left behind. If you conduct walkthroughs for potential tenants, the stench will surely drive them away.

General cleaning must be done after a long tenancy because bad odors are usually due to poor sanitation. Then after cleaning, a few puffs of aerosol fresheners or turning on an essential oil humidifier would set a good atmosphere for new habitation.

Once your unit is ready for occupancy, it would be easier to market or turn over to an awaiting tenant. If you made upgrades like repainting or added features like new appliances, add high-quality photos of them in your property listing in platforms like Padleads so that it becomes more attractive to the hundreds of home-hunters who will see your listing. The amount of time that your unit was vacant and was being improved will surely be worth it in the long run.