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Part 2: Are Oxnard Residents Making Unauthorized Changes to the Exterior of Your Rental Property?

Young Oxnard Resident Measuring the Trellis on an Outdoor PatioWhen residents move into a new rental home, what they often do first is add decorative components. The desire to personalize their rental home occasionally includes the exterior of the house. Many Oxnard property owners want their residents to maintain the landscaping to some degree, and quality residents are willing to do so. They want to take pride in their home as well, even if they don’t really own the place.

Nonetheless, once your residents want to make changes to the exterior of the home, things can go downhill fast. As the owner, you might get requests from residents hoping to make changes such as putting in new trees or plants in the yard, creating new flower beds, or transforming a corner of the yard into a vegetable garden. Additional exterior changes that residents ask for may involve new exterior doors, light fixtures, or even changing the color of the house.

You might be tempted to permit them to make particular changes, especially if they are willing to pay for it themselves. However, it’s important to understand that not all changes are improvements. If the resident’s workmanship is of poor quality, that could seriously reduce your property values and your capability to rent the home in the future.

You can always ask them to revert the property back to its original state, but if sod has been disturbed or plantings moved or changed, this might not be possible. Future residents may not like taking care of a vegetable garden as much as your current residents do, and things like these are what makes potential renters opt for a property with less maintenance.

If your rental property is located within a homeowners’ association, there might be additional permissions and restrictions that you must adhere to before changes are approved. If residents go on and make changes to the exterior of your Oxnard rental property without your permission, you should take the right next steps. But, what should you do? You could charge them for any necessary repairs and then get somebody to fix it or you could attempt to make them do it themselves. Nonetheless, your best choice is to get a property management company that can not only consistently supervise your properties for you but also handle unauthorized changes as they occur.

At Real Property Management Ventura County, we recognize the troubles that arise from unauthorized property changes. We are dedicated to protecting your investment, and that means ensuring your residents understand what is considered unauthorized changes and the consequences for making them. Our property maintenance programs are designed to maximize your investment’s potential while keeping costs low. For more information about our property management services, please contact us online or give us a call at 805-387-3682 today!

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