Monthly Archives: June 2015

Hit the Deck

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Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and managers. Summer is once again in full swing, which means it’s time to get out of doors and enjoy the weather, and what better place to do so than in the shade of your deck, porch, or maybe even balcony. This week on the rant, we’re talking about how to make the most of those outdoors spaces in your house, apartment, condo or duplex.

You should never judge a book by its cover, but you might be able to judge a rental property by its porch. By extension, you can also judge a neighborhood by its porches. The porch is the front of the property, the first thing that people see, and a good place to be, especially when everyone else is out enjoying the summertime. If you’re looking for a property to rent this summer, keep an eye out for properties with a porch you could see yourself on.

As a landlord or property owner, one thing you’ll want to check between tenants is the condition of the porch or deck, since they are located outside and thus the most subject to wear from the elements. Rotten support beam can be an expense at worst and a safety hazard at best, so make sure that the porch or deck on your rental property is safe and sturdy before it becomes something much worse you have to deal with. As always, it’s probably better to invest a little more at the outset to save yourself costs down the road.

For all of those tenants living in apartment buildings, you probably don’t have decks or porches, but you may very well have a balcony, which is even cooler in many ways. A good balcony view can make or break an apartment, so keep that in mind when deciding on a property to rent. If you’re the romantic type, it could make a great location for a midnight rendezvous. If you’re a notorious drug dealer, it could be a good spot to reminisce with your #2 before everything goes sour. If you’re of the less dramatic persuasion, it might just be a nice place to read a book and relax. Just remember that you probably aren’t the only one out on your balcony. The face of a building is a communal space, and that guy underneath you probably doesn’t appreciate you tossing those cigarette butts down on him.

Whatever type of outdoor space your property has, the standard rules apply. Keep it clean, make sure it’s safe, but most importantly, enjoy it!

 Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? Holla: Hometownrant@hometownrent.com

 

Stairway to (Rental) Heaven

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Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and property managers! This week we’re taking you through the ups and downs of rental properties everywhere, literally. That’s right. This week we’re talking steps and stairs and maybe even listening to the Five Stairsteps while we do it.

Stairs are weird. Are they a room? Are they a hall? Are they some combination of the two, or something else entirely? Philosophical speculations abound, but the answer probably lies in the specific staircase, in the specific house, apartment, loft, condo or duplex. Some are outside, some inside, some communal and some personal, and they all have their ups and downs.

As a landlord or property owner, one of the main stair-related things you should keep in mind when preparing a property for rent is the flooring on the stairs. They’re a high-traffic area, and one that’s often forgotten when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Especially if the stairs in your house or duplex are close to a door, you might want to consider wood as opposed to carpeting, since people will more often than not leave their shoes on. If you’re property or properties are in an apartment complex or other space with a communal stairway, make sure those stairs are kept clean and in good repair. Stairs can be dangerous, especially for older people and rowdy children, and the last thing you want is a preventable accident happening in your building.

As a renter, you should know that there are two types of people in this world: vertical and horizontal, city and country, high-rise and ranch-style. You may know which one you are already. If not, you might need to find out. Here’s a quick test: hamburger or hotdog? Hamburgers are vertical, hotdogs are horizontal. Your living space should ideally reflect your preference in the matter, and the distinction here is stairs, or lack thereof.

If you’re more of a sedentary person, if you’re getting older or have a disability that limits your mobility, you’ll obviously want to look for rental properties that are accommodating of that fact, preferably single-stories. Remember too that elevators will sometimes be shut down in case of a fire or another emergency, and if you aren’t capable of making it down the stairs quickly, renting an apartment on an upper floor may even become a safety hazard. But who knows, maybe the view is worth it…

 Is there a bustle in your hedgerow? Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? Don’t be alarmed now:  Hometownrant@hometownrent.com