After evicting a tenant, it’s important to take steps to make your property safe. This helps ensure new tenants are welcomed and avoid expensive legal issues. Here are some steps to take.
Sanitize the Home Properly
It’s important to clean the property well after a tenant moves out. This includes carpets, walls, and other surfaces. This will help make sure the house is in good shape and ready to be rented out again. But if something illegal has happened, like your house being used to sell drugs, you should schedule a house meth test or something similar. Dangerous substances can be cleaned up by people who know how to do them. And some offer cleaning of organic matter.
Make Sure You Change the Locks
It’s very important to keep an evicted tenant from coming back. You owe it to your new tenants to be safe. And some of your old renters might come back and trash your property. So, change the locks on all exterior doors and make sure all windows and other points of entry are secure. This will make it harder for the tenant to get back into the property. Also, make sure that all of the windows are locked (including upstairs) and can’t be opened easily from the outside.
Carry Out Repairs to Make Your Property Safe
In a private home, the average length of a lease is about three years. And in that time, people can do a lot of damage. So, before you rent the house out again, make sure everything is in good shape by giving it a thorough inspection. Check for any damage and fix it right away if you find any. Look for things like broken windows, holes in the walls or floors, and other signs of damage. And check the plumbing, electricity, and any other home utilities such as fridges.
Install New Security Systems
If you feel like safety is an issue, you might want to install security measures. These include lights that turn on when someone walks by and lock on doors and windows. This will make it less likely that thieves or vandals will break in or damage the property while it is empty. And if your property isn’t already fenced in, you might want to put one up to keep people out. Also, keep the landscaping in good shape to cover the windows and make the home look occupied.
Don’t Forget to Check for Debts
Lastly, you should make sure that you don’t run out of money for no reason. Check to see if the tenant has any debts, like rent or utility bills, that need to be paid. If so, you might have to go to court to get the money back if you provided these. And this can cost a lot. And the last thing a new tenant needs is debt collectors knocking on the door. If the last tenant owes you money, you should get in touch with them to remind them of the debt and politely ask for payment.
Summary
It’s vital to make your property safe after evicting a tenant. Some steps you can take include cleaning the property, making necessary repairs ASAP, and checking for outstanding debts.