There are instances when a tenant would try to be helpful, but the problem is that they don’t really know how to properly clean or maintain a rental home’s garage. When that is the case, expensive and unnecessary repairs are often the result. By giving your Thousand Oaks tenants the right information, you can do a lot to prevent unintentional damage and keep your valuable investment in good condition.
A garage is an important part of a quality single-family rental home. An attractive garage door boosts the home’s curb appeal, just as the interior, windows, cabinets, and even the garage door opener can have a big impact on a tenant’s satisfaction. But none of these elements should be neglected. All of them should be properly maintained to keep them working well. If one component of the garage fails, the whole thing could turn into an eyesore instead of an advantage.
The garage door, being the most visible exterior element, needs to have regular cleaning and maintenance to stay working properly and looking nice. There are multiple ways a tenant could damage a garage door accidentally. They may not know the basic maintenance tasks that need to be performed and end up not doing any maintenance at all. They may also clean the door but use the wrong tools or cleaning products. For example, not every garage door is made from the same materials. Some are painted, while others are vinyl or metal. If a tenant attempts to clean a garage door with the wrong tools, they may be causing extensive damage to the door instead. There are a few people that think it’s a good idea to power spray a painted door clean. Harsh household cleaners can also damage a door’s exterior finish, causing far more harm than good.
Going past appearances, a garage door can only work properly if it has a functional opener, springs, hinges, and rollers These parts may rust, wear out, or break over time and through heavy use. In fact, if a garage door is noisy, it may mean that the door’s hardware is in trouble and needs to be lubricated. This simple maintenance task can greatly lengthen the useful life of a garage door.
The windows, floor, and cabinets in a garage are generally the parts that experience unintentional damage. Many garages have oil stains on concrete floors that come from a leaking car engine. These are very difficult to remove. Exhaust fumes, dirt, and other substances can heap up on windows and seriously compromise the tracks, locks, and glass. Cabinets may be crushed or broken by heavy storage items or even parking a vehicle too close. Just like the garage door, regular cleaning and maintenance can easily prevent all these issues. What makes it difficult is that the tenant may not know how to do it correctly.
As an illustration, motor oil stains are dealt with differently from other substances. The correct tools and cleaning materials should be used or else the effort of cleaning it may make the problem bigger instead. Harsh chemicals or scrub brushes can scratch or damage windows and window tracks as well as cabinets, but regular household cleaners may not be enough to get the grime off either. To prevent the continued wear and further damage, a tenant must have oversight and the right information with them so that the rental home’s garage is continually kept in good condition.
Keeping track of a tenant’s cleaning and maintenance record can be time-consuming and difficult for property owners. For this reason, getting a professional property management company to help is an intelligent decision.
At Real Property Management Ventura County, we aid the property owners in educating their tenants on the proper care and upkeep of their rental homes in Thousand Oaks and conduct regular checks to ensure that such tasks are being done. The property management professionals in our team can shield your valuable investment from unintentional damage and prevent expensive and unnecessary repairs. Don’t hesitate to contact us online or give us a ring at 805-387-3682 to know more about what we can do for you.