Rent-Ready
Getting Your Home Rent Ready
Step 1: Iron Creek Takes Over
The condition of your home at move in helps set the stage for the tenancy. Providing residents with a clean home with everything in working order establishes an expectation for the condition of the property when they move out.
The Rent Ready process begins once our management agreement starts and the property has been turned over to us. If you want to see what you can do before we takeover, click here for our Preparing Your Home information.
Sometimes there can be confusion around responsibilities when it comes to getting a home rent ready. Our onboarding services include one takeover walkthrough. The takeover walkthrough will occur once the property has been turned over to us. We'll evaluate the property and develop a punch list and scope for any work needed. We'll obtain estimates and coordinate getting the work scheduled. That's all included in our standard services.
If you're a DIYer or prefer to use your own vendors, you're welcome to do that too. Check out our Preparing Your Home for Rent page for things you can take care of before turning the property over to us.
You can also choose to complete the full punch list yourself after our walkthrough. We've had owners complete the entire list themselves and avoid almost all rent ready costs.
If you choose to take over the punch list, we'll expect all the items in the punchlist to be completed by you or your vendor before we move forward. We've found that a shared approach where an owner or outside vendor does what they can and then we step back in to determine what's left can create extra time, additional trips to the property and unnecessary costs.
Our onboarding services include one takeover walkthrough. If an additional walkthrough is required because an owner managed scope was not completed, the additional time and coordination are billed at the hourly rate outlined in your management agreement.
The goal isn't to discourage you from doing the work yourself. In fact, it can be a great way to reduce your initial costs. We just want the responsibilities to be clear so we can get your home rent ready efficiently and avoid doubling up on efforts. We're able to keep our pricing competitive while providing a higher level of service because we're efficient, so additional trips and walkthroughs have to be accounted for separately.
What We Look for During Our Rent Ready Walkthrough
You don't need to have everything below completed before turning the property over to us. This is what we're looking for when we complete our takeover walkthrough and develop your rent ready punch list. If something needs attention, we'll identify it, discuss any larger items with you, and coordinate the work needed to get the home ready for its first resident.
Here's what we're looking at:
Functioning as Designed
We take a detailed look at the home and test its components. We open drawers, operate blinds, run faucets, check doors and windows, test lights and switches, and look at appliances and other mechanical components. We also assess walls, paint, trim, baseboards, flooring, window coverings, locks, screens, door stops, fireplaces and other components throughout the home. If something isn't functioning properly, we'll add it to the punch list.
This also includes things like window screens. Torn window screens get rescreen, broken or missing slider door screens get replaced. We also make sure items which are expected by tenants, like closet doors are present and working.
Rekeying / Securing
We rekey every home when we take over management and between residents. We also clear existing garage door remotes and codes. If the home doesn't already have Kwikset locks, we may recommend switching to them, particularly if you plan to keep the property as a rental for several years. They allow us to rekey the property at a much lower cost than calling a locksmith each time.
Deep Cleaning
We look at the overall cleanliness of the home, including appliances inside and out, cabinets and drawers, blinds, fans, bathrooms, fan vents and other areas throughout the property. If cleaning is needed, we'll include it in the scope and coordinate it.
Starting with a thoroughly clean home sets the expectation that it will be returned in similar condition. This is generally a one time expense for the owner. Residents are required to return the home in clean condition and can be charged for cleaning when they don't, outside of normal wear and tear.
Carpet Cleaning
We coordinate professional carpet cleaning before the first resident moves in. Our carpet cleaning partners not only deep clean the carpets, they document existing stains, tears and other issues that can be important during the move in and move out process.
The owner is responsible for the cost of this initial cleaning. After that, residents are required to have the carpets professionally cleaned at move out, so this generally isn't an expense you'll incur with each turnover.
Safety Items
We check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they meet our rent ready standards, are in the appropriate locations, are operational and are within their service life. If detectors need to be added or replaced, we'll include that in the scope.
**Remove Personal Property **
This is one item we strongly recommend taking care of before turning the property over to us. The home should be completely free of personal property, whether it belongs to the owner or a previous resident. New residents should be able to move into a clean slate without having to store or dispose of someone else's belongings.
If you're unsure what should stay or go, see our Preparing Your Home for Rent page for more detail.
What Condition Is the Yard In?
We'll look at the lawn, weeds, garden beds, trees, shrubs, sprinklers and any exterior debris and include needed work in the punch list.
We also check for animal feces in the yard. Starting with and documenting a clean yard allows us to accurately assess responsibility for pet cleanup at move out.
Walls & Paint
We look for damage, needed patches or texture repairs, and mismatched or obvious paint touch ups. Not every scuff means a room needs to be repainted. We'll evaluate the overall condition and recommend work where it makes sense for the rental.
Caulking
We check caulking in kitchens, bathrooms and other areas exposed to water, particularly around tubs, showers and sinks. If caulking is deteriorated or missing, we'll include it in the punch list to help reduce the potential for future water damage.
HVAC
We'll check the HVAC filter and confirm the heating and cooling systems are operating properly. If the system is due for service or there are signs of an issue, we'll recommend having it serviced before move in.
Landscaping & Exterior
We look at the overall condition of the landscaping and exterior to identify anything that should be addressed before a resident moves in. This includes whether:
- Grass is mowed and in maintained condition
- Garden beds are weeded and tidy
- Trees and shrubs are reasonably trimmed
- Sprinklers are functioning properly
- Gutters are clean and free of debris
- Leaves, branches and other exterior debris are removed
- Animal feces have been removed from the yard
- Hoses, chemicals, gardening supplies and other personal items have been removed
If something needs attention, we'll add it to the rent ready scope and coordinate the appropriate vendor.
We'll Take It From Here
The purpose of our walkthrough is to identify these things so you don't have to know what makes a home rent ready before you hand us the keys.
Once we've completed the walkthrough, we'll put together the scope, obtain estimates as needed and coordinate the work.