Property owners are required to pay for wear and tear on a rental property. During your move-out inspection, you can charge your tenant’s deposit for damage, but wear and tear is on you. So, it’s helpful to know how long you can expect certain functions and items in your home to last.
Today, we want to help landlords by you predict and estimate what they’ll have to spend on repairs and replacements by discussing the lifespans of certain items in your San Jose rental property.
Carpet Cleanings and Replacements
Carpets can often last for about seven years, depending on the type of carpet you have in your property and the amount of traffic that the carpet is required to absorb. Nylon carpet is usually easier to repair and maintain than some of the other carpet fibers you might find. But, budget for carpet replacements every seven years. When you aren’t replacing the carpets but you’re turning over a property, remember to have those carpets professionally shampooed before a new tenant moves in.
Painting the Inside of Your Property
Your property’s interior paint can typically be pro-rated over a lifespan of three years. You might want to re-paint every year between tenants, especially if you notice things like nail holes, scuff marks, or smudges and fingerprints that won’t come off. While most of what gets on the paint is wear and tear, you might find that your need to repaint is due to a tenant’s abuse or neglect. A toddler coloring on the walls, for example, would be the tenant’s responsibility. Pets scratching off the paint would also be considered damage. However, for the wear and tear that happens to paint, expect to put a fresh coat on every three years.
Appliances in Your Rental Property
In your rental property, you probably provide things like dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, etc. These appliances will usually have an estimated life expectancy of between six and 10 years. That’s been our experience. It will really depend on how often the tenants are using the appliances and whether they are well-maintained. Some of those items may need to be replaced sooner, and it’s often better to replace them than to continually repair them.
Clean Your Window Blinds Frequently
When you invest in good window blinds, you’ll find it’s not necessary to replace them too frequently. Usually, they simply need a good cleaning and they’ll be like new. With a little ongoing attention, you can expend their usefulness for years.
Expensive Household Systems
The most expensive systems in your property are water, heating, and cooling. You’ll probably replace your water heater every eight years. With your HVAC unit, you can expect a lifespan of about 15 years if you’re taking good care of it. Consider getting a service contract for things like HVAC systems; then, you will know if there’s something small and inexpensive that can be done to avoid having to replace the entire system a year or two down the road.
One thing landlords must remember is that the life expectancy of each item will almost always increase when you buy higher quality things. Landlords might choose rental grade quality to keep costs down initially, but if you want longer life expectancies, buy a higher quality appliance, blind, or carpet.
If you have any additional questions about what we’ve discussed, please feel free to contact us at REC Rentals. We’d be happy to tell you more.
