On 4/29/2012 9:57 AM, Stuart Wheaton wrote:
On 4/29/2012 6:49 AM, dadiOH wrote:
The log house which my wife wound up with after her mother died - and
into
which we have been pouring money, lo, these many months - is now ready to
sell or rent. Given the market, it is most likely to be rented. I have
only rented two unfurnished apartments in my life and that was years ago.

The first was totally bare...no stove, no fridge, no drapes, no nothing.

The second had drapes - rather nice ones - and a stove but no fridge.

Having no experience as either a renter or landlord, I would appreciate
knowing what you would expect if you were looking to rent an unfurnished
house.

This depends greatly on how you structure the deal, and what market you
are trying to rent into. If you are doing lease-option you can rent it
the way you might sell it. If the other places on the market include
fridges and stoves and other amenities, you probably need to provide
them to be competitive.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a tenant that already has
those things, they are relocating, or got foreclosed out of their
current home, perhaps they already have the stove and fridge...



Drapes?

Not a high priority with me. Some window treatment is good, I have
apartments and I provide white blinds... Fabric would not be my first
choice, it fades, gets chewed up, and absorbs odors. Plus, it greatly
impacts other design choices. I tend to keep all MY design elements more
neutral so the tenant can push the rooms to their style without painting.


Stove?

Probably yes, but compare to the other properties on the market.

Microwave?

Unless it is built-in, no.

Dishwasher?

See micro-wave...

Fridge?

See Stove...

Washer& dryer?

I lean towards no unless the market demands it. These get beat up and
turn into a maintenance hassle. I presume their is a laundry-mat
somewhere? In a multi-family I provide a commercial quality unit in a
public area.


Washer and dryer hookups only?

Yes. Make it easy to tie in.


Anything else?

I'd also appreciate knowing if you would expect to do any of these
yourself.
Change air filters? Buy them?

In a stand-alone house, I would place this responsibility on the tenant.
The replacement of filters makes the system work better for them and
does not greatly affect how long it lasts for you.


Maintain salt level in water softener? Buy the salt?

If the water is so hard it will close up pipes and faucets, it might be
worth doing, if it is merely for comfort... it is their problem.

Cut the grass?

If the house is nearby, and easy to cut, you can do it, otherwise, I see
this as the difference between renting a house, and renting an
apartment. When you rent a house, you assume more of the duties of
normal operation.

That could be a hassle...landlord over every week at HIS convenience to
cut the grass? What if renter sleeps days? I'm thinking of all kinds
of reasons not to rent this home )


However, the other side of the coin is that if you do these things, you
will have a reason to go inside and 'inspect' the condition of your
property on a regular basis. The hassle is that you will need to
co-ordinate, or at least advise your tenant about the times and days you
plan to visit, and the law usually requires you to give 24 hours notice
except in case of emergency.


What other maintenance or repair?


I would require that any repairs be done by the landlord or his agents.
You might get a tenant with the skills and tools to do this, but you
will probably get a guy who leaves a more expensive repair than the
proper tradesman would have cost in the first place. Besides, you want
to know what work is being done.


Thanks for your time