I own a condo and I am looking to rent it out in the near future. I spoke to a property manager and he recommended making fixes to avoid all safety issues for future tenants, which I did. There are a lot of small issues all around the condo (lose countertops, old and lose bathroom vanities, doors don’t align on cabinets, patches in the walls, creaky floors, etc.). Does it make sense to fix these issues first or just rent it out?

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I would fix the counter top and the vanity if it’s just tightening a few screws or very minimal work. Then I’d paint the apartment to get rid of those patches. You’d also be surprised how a new coat of paint can really make an apartment come to life.

The minor cosmetic issues like the cabinets not being perfectly aligned, I would leave as is. Unless they are falling apart.

No need to go crazy fixing every little thing, unless you are trying to rent it in a luxury building or asking for over market rent.

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I'm a renter and we look at these things. If you can't take the time to fix the minor things what's going to happen when something needs to be fixed? I'm looking right now and serveral rental homed have been on the market for a while and they have dropped prices. If they only took care of the minor maintenance issues they probably would have rented those homes already. Fixing cabinet doors don't cost a thing, it's rescewing the hinges or having them updated and working proper will allow you to ask for a good monthly amount. And not fixing minor things is a slum lord. Your expecting someone to pay you for a condo you don't care enough about to fix the minor things. You get what you put out. Fix the issues. You will get more by fixing them than not.

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Have some pride in your property. Don’t be a slum lord.

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Right ??

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People will treat your property no better than how you treat it.

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I mean creaky floors and doors misaligning on cabinets is not slumlord. That’s just older age. Patches in the walls - not sure what that means.

As long as you’re not trying to rent it as a premium rental you’re fine. Renters aren’t going to treat your property like it’s their own and you don’t want to spend big money in new cabinets and bathrooms until you sell.

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If any of these “loose” things could fall off and hurt a tenant standing there you should fix it. A cabinet door is different from a loose countertop.

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I'm a 57 year old man recently windowed. A friend of Bill W and a dam good craftsman. I buid cabinets for hallmark and been a Glazier building skyrisses,glass, frames and mirrors for 15 years. I'm looking for a place for my dog and I. Cut me a deal and I will make all repairs.3854857867

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Agree with SA 1 here, a lot of this is stuff you can fix yourself. Idk if “patches” in the walls means mismatched paint or holes in sheetrock, but either way its a quick fix. Same with loose vanities. I would do it myself because take some pride in your home but if that doesn’t do it might as well fix it so some tenant cant make it worse. Much easier to tighten the screws on your vanity or add a couple extra rather than replace a hole in the wall if a tenant over stuffs it and it falls off.

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Go to home depot for wall patch squares. Pretty easy. You could just rent it out cheaply, but being handy or finding a handy person to address these minor things is worthwhile. These don't sound so much like expensive things as the kind of things an averagely handy person/family member should be able to more or less address.

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make sure your renter has renter insurance or else you will be stuck with bill if anything happens

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This 100% require it!

As a landlord, you're now an investor and you have to choose how you're going to invest that money.

Any rental unit is going to require regular maintenance: appliances, servicing, condo fees, regular repairs, etc. As an investor and maintainer, you need to budget for these things.

If your plan is to "just rent it out", then it's obvious that you have a very limited budget for maintaining this asset. And those are the renters you're going to attract.

If money on your rental is so tight that you can't afford to fix basic things, are you sure you have enough money available to fix big things?

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I have 3 rental properties myself. Taking care of safety concerns was a smart move. Fixing those small issues like loose countertops and creaky floors before renting out the condo could attract better tenants and save you hassle later on. It might cost upfront, but it's likely worth it for a smoother rental experience and potentially higher returns. Plus if the rental is in good condition, it is more likely the tenant will also be more cautious not to cause damage because they want to get their full deposit back.

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I would fix everything and upgrade if needed 1-10 10 being the best it would have to be at least a 9 I would have it written in the lease complete inspections are done every 6 months but can do one at anytime as long as I gave so many hours advance notice If I had the time I would okhave it written in that I change the filters once a month that I will supply and install them.
I would also be interviewing the people that apply to rent it but would personally do the interview and check and any follow up I had to and have it written that if there was an inspection done that that was with poor results that they would have to leave the property and not come back on it but i would fine out all the legal rules for were my property was located and follow the rules I would also have it written what I will cover if something breaks and vice versa but would have a statement written up and signed that during an inspection if soms was found broke and it was something they had to cover would have an exceptible time frame for it to ve fixed but would also keep in mind how they are so if they are good people and it taking them longer would work something out with them so it is fair if but if things broke I was responsible for I would make sure it was done asap wouldn't make thwm wait for things to be fixed even if it cost me more to get it done immediately unless it was something they could wait a couple day for to be fixed and depending on how long they were renting from me and our status with each other if something broke that they hsd to pay for and they didn't have the money i would buy it or purchase it and let them make payments towards it but every case is different with something like that

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Yeah. I get the sense this person doesn’t have rentals. I also said I’d never let my kids on iPads and they’d eat whatever I’d make for dinner, but then I actually had kids and realized life is different and picking your battles. It’s similar with rentals.

If you can find a way to make these repairs before leasing, you should. An uncared for home is a red flag for renters, not to mention some of the issues you mention could be liability issues. Also consider how important it is to you that your renters don't trash the place. If they see it's already battered and broken, they'll think nothing of adding more damage to the list. It will likely cost you more in the long run if you don't make the repairs now.

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Once you apply for your rental inspection through the city they will let you know if they will pass it or not with those items like that. However, ask yourself, would you want to live in a house like that and not do anything to fix the issues?

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Rental inspection? That must be really city dependent we own seven rentals and not one has had to have a rental inspection.

It's generally a good idea to address these small issues before renting out your condo. Fixing safety issues is crucial to ensure the well-being of your tenants and to avoid potential liability. Additionally, addressing minor cosmetic issues like loose countertops, old vanities, and misaligned doors can improve the overall appeal of your condo, potentially attracting higher-quality tenants and allowing you to command a better rental price. However, it's essential to weigh the cost of repairs against the potential return on investment and consider the current market conditions in your area.

If it is all fixed and working great you will attract better tenants.

Also, don’t use a property management company - just do it yourself

Definitely fix everything before it’s rented out.

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