When looking into Bellflower rental home ownership, you need to know and track the condition of each of the home’s exterior elements. This is just as important as correctly identifying when to replace the carpet or repaint the walls. It’s the same thing for both newly constructed homes and older properties; knowing the age of each item and how long it can be reasonably expected to last is an important part of successful rental property management.
A good landlord or property manager understands the healthy lifespan of common exterior elements of your rental property in Bellflower. A product’s lifespan is the amount of time a product lasts when used under standard conditions. As an example, take patios. A quality cement patio lasts upwards of 50 years because of the notably durable nature of cement. However, wooden decks only last for about ten years due to how quickly it reacts to natural elements.
For reference, we’ve listed a few common exterior items and their average lifespan:
- Garage Door: 15 years
- Automatic Garage Door Opener: 5-10 years
- Wood Fence: 10 years
- Stucco Exterior: 20-50+ years
- Vinyl Siding: 25 years
Lifespan, as a concept, becomes extremely important when your tenant causes property damage that surpasses normal wear and tear. As a case in point, if your vinyl siding gets damaged, but it is more than 25 years old, the tenant shouldn’t be held responsible for the cost of repairs. If the vinyl siding is fewer than 25 years old, the tenant would likely be responsible to pay some or all of the cost of repairs.
Instead of wasting so much time and money on a lawsuit, it would be smarter to stay ahead of property damage. With the right knowledge and being proactive in dealing with property management, it is possible to keep both the inside and outside elements of a rental home in great working condition. Regular replacement of items beyond their useful lives is one way to avoid bearing the full cost of repairs caused by tenant negligence. Another opportunity is to have regular property evaluations performed so that each part of the rental home can be properly monitored.
Real Property Management Southland offers a complete property management program that includes, among other things, planning for the future with maintenance plans, property evaluations, and much more. We have the experience and the skills to keep your Bellflower real estate investments profitable for many years to come. Would you like to know more? Please contact us online or give us a ring at 562-270-1777.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
