A successful rental process in Santa Cruz depends on both tenants and landlords understanding and meeting their responsibilities. You expect your tenants to pay rent on time, follow the terms laid out in the lease agreement, and to report maintenance as soon as it’s needed.
Landlords who take their responsibilities seriously will have a better and more successful investment experience.
Maintaining a Safe and Habitable Property
You are required to provide a clean and habitable home before tenants move in. You need to maintain the functionality and habitability throughout the term of the lease. This means you’ll have specific responsibilities that include:
- Following all habitability standards as well as state and local health and building codes
- Maintaining structural components of your home or building
- Providing access to heat, electricity, and hot and cold water
- Ensuring you’re providing a home free of pests, bed bugs, mold, and any other hazards
Your responsibilities also include routine and emergency maintenance. You must address habitability repairs right away, ensuring that your tenant can continue living in the home. You’re also expected to provide tenants with privacy. You cannot show up without prior notice or authorization.
Keep Your Santa Cruz Rental Home Secure
Landlords want to prevent crime at their properties. Your responsibilities here include re-keying the locks between tenants. Make sure there are adequate exterior lights so your tenants don’t have to walk from the street to their front door in the dark. These things will make your Santa Cruz rental property safer and it will also improve the security your tenant feels in your property.
Enforcing the Lease Agreement
You and your tenants sign a lease agreement to ensure all parties are protected. It’s your responsibility to enforce that lease agreement. This might include collecting late fees when the rent is late or addressing unauthorized pets or changes to the paint color or the landscaping.
To enforce your lease agreement, you’ll have to know what’s in there. Make sure you understand the responsibilities that are laid out in your rental contract. You might have to provide professional lawn care or pool care, depending on your property and what’s decided. Know your lease and make sure you can explain its most important terms to your tenants before they move in.
Communicating with Your Santa Cruz Tenants
One of your most important responsibilities as a landlord is communication. If your tenant only hears from you when rent is late, you’re not going to be able to nurture a very respectful and positive relationship.
Be responsive and available to your renters. You want them to feel comfortable contacting you if there’s a repair issue or they know their rent is going to be a day or two late one month. Check in with them from time to time and follow up when they’ve had a problem to make sure it was resolved completely and satisfactorily.
These are your most basic responsibilities as a landlord. When you want to do more than the bare minimum, consider partnering with a Santa Cruz property management company. We can ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities, and we can also provide a better rental experience for you and your tenants. Contact us at Contact us at Real Estate Eight Three One.
