Landlord's Guide to Replacing Carpet & Flooring
Apartment Maintenance
We have already mentioned sealing out water by applying caulking around toilets tubs and showers, but one bead of silicone will only last so long.
If you don’t keep an eye on it your seal will fail and lots of your money will flow right down that crack. You might want to schedule frequent flooring inspections. I suggest every 12 months, but at least every other year. Not only do you have the right to inspect the flooring in every unit, but you have every good reason to.
As a prior landlord myself I can assure you that there are many problems that can be avoided if you discover them before they become bigger and more costly problems.
For Example...
Let's say you plan your yearly inspection of each apartment on a yearly basis. Entry Notices have been placed on every apartment door within 24 or 48 hours or as required by law in your state. As you enter one apartment you hear the sound of running water. Upon investigation you find that the toilet is continually running due to a broken part inside the toilet tank.
Most landlords pay for the water and sewer costs as part of the rental agreement, nonetheless, it is always in everyone's best interest to conserve water wherever we can. It is a well known fact that tenants are not likely to report these type of problems to you until the problem becomes serious and more costly to repair.
There are countless problems that can be avoided by conducting regular scheduled inspections. You can also help reduce the likelihood of a fire if you notice that a tenant is overloading the electrical circuits with too many plugs in one outlet or maybe the tenant is using a portable heater too close to the drapery or furniture.
Some tenants just do not have good common sense, or are too busy to consider all the possible safety issues that are obvious to you.
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Make a list of all the areas that you want to check while you are inspecting each unit.
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Keep record of your inspection findings of each unit, and make note of what needs to be tended to.
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Prioritize the repairs that need to be performed and take care of the most serious problems first.
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Determine what areas are most prone to problems and implement a preventative maintenance program to deal with those areas before they develop into serious problems in other units.
Preventative maintenance is a very important part of saving money in the long run. Planning scheduled inspections will also add to the safety of every tenant you have. More on this subject as we continue on about preventative maintenance in my ebook.
Protective devices
Another good idea is to install protective devices that help prevent problems from developing. These can include tub splash deflectors and placing walk-off mats at the front door of every unit to help prevent dirt from entering the apartment, reducing the need to clean the carpets as often.
Top Ten Causes for Carpet Wrinkles
What is the cause of your Carpet Wrinkles? If you have wrinkles or waves in your carpet, find out who or what may be responsible and what you can do to fix the problem.