We’ve had a lot of people ask:
What is the process of showing a rental property while occupied? How does it exactly work? The time will come for every property owner or renter to give the notice to move or even sell your investment property, therefore, requiring the tenant to vacate. But how exactly does a property manager show rental properties either for rent or sale while they are currently being lived in?
It’s essential to have clear language in the lease when the tenant signs and moves in. Most tenants must provide written 30 days notice to vacate no matter if they are breaking the lease or their lease is coming to an end naturally. Most property management companies educate their tenants that once this notice is provided, steps should be taken to meet minimum showing conditions. We expect extra effort in keeping the yard and home safe. We also try to educate our tenants on ways to ease the stress of cleaning with suggested cleaning tasks to help everyday scheduling.
Suggested minimum showing conditions:
- All beds made and rooms neat.
- Floors are recently vacuumed, clutter-free, especially with no piles of dirty clothes.
- The kitchen and bathrooms should be clean; sinks are clean and empty.
- The walls are clean and unmarred.
- Pets are out of the way; litter boxes are clean and odor-free.
- TV is off or on low so as not to be intrusive.
- The yard is mowed and trimmed and in good condition.
- Blinds/curtains are open, and the home is well lit (when possible).
We understand trying to schedule showings while a rental property while occupied. Whether the property is listed for sale or rent, the expected times for showings are generally between the hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. These are standard business hours, and the home is expected to be clean and available to show upon notice. If there are any other days and hours that the house in question needs to be shown, we reach out and find out if those times are convenient and ok for our tenant. Weekend showings may happen and should be made available for the property management company.
Is notice given?
We here at RentWise Property Management give tenants 24 hours’ notice for showings. Written notifications are sent via email, and phone calls are made, first to the home and then to work. We strive to make sure you are properly notified. Based on property managers, situations like illness are acceptable reasons to be unavailable or to have to reschedule a showing. Tenants should contact their property manager immediately under these circumstances. Reasons given by tenants such as inconvenience, or having guests, or being out-of-town are generally not acceptable reasons for reschedule.
It’s important to understand that a home that shows well rents quickly. The faster a new resident is found for the current property; the fewer showings will need to be done. A house that shows well benefits everyone!