Close icon

I'm a Service Provider

Simply register your business and start quoting today.

Sign up Now >>

I'm a Property Manager

Streamline time consuming property maintenance and repairs tasks.

Sign up Now >>

*No credit card required.

Blog

Property Maintenance: A Tenants Guide To DIY

tool-2692849_1920

Are you a tenant who love their home? Well, if you are planning to stay long at the property, then you need to make sure your landlord wants the same thing. If the landlords do not enjoy having you as a tenant, they are unlikely to renew the lease or could potentially increase the annual rent significantly.

 

If you are not interested in renting long-term, then there is a simple set of procedures you need to follow. Apart from the obvious ‘do not damage the property on purpose’; you should also refrain from making significant changes without the landlord’s permission. Its possible, your landlord has more than one rental property, so taking care of small repairs or maintenance issues on your own without bothering your landlord can really make a difference. 

 

1. Remove stains 

Do not beat yourself for ruining the dining room rug. Such instances are common among tenants throughout the world. The wiser thing is to take care of the stains on your own. Either send it to the dry cleaner's or buy some chemicals from your nearest supermarket. If you decide to do it on your own, then make sure you know how it’s done. Also, do not forget to double-check the chemicals you buy.

The person cleaning the mold/mildew should wear gloves and eyewear for safety. Additionally, a scarf or breathing mask is equally important.

 

2. Fix damaged fittings 

Another common thing to take care of around the home is broken handles and fittings in the kitchen. There is a good chance that you will find the same ones from a hardware store, such as Bunnings, for a very affordable price. Pick up a screwdriver and refresh your kitchen to its past glory.

 

3. Touch up paintwork

If you live with small children, then you might be aware of them showcasing their ‘art’ on their bedroom walls. Its a good idea to touch up the paint job in such instances. If you fail to do that, there is a good chance that your landlord might end up deducting double the expenses from your deposit.

 

4. Fill in holes 

Of course, you can move that artwork from your bedroom to the kid’s room. However, that might leave behind empty holes on the wall. It doesn’t take a craftsman to fill them, and it is something we definitely recommend you should do.

 

5. Replace light bulbs 

There are a host of things that come with the house when you rent it. For instance, the light bulbs and other fittings in your home. However, they have a limited lifespan and are prone to malfunction after a period of time. You could easily replace such equipment in your home without bothering your landlord for everything.

Part of property management the landlord will deduct a portion of your deposit in case of major damage to the property or its equipment/furniture. Ensuring you take care of these things on your own will definitely come in handy to keep your deposit intact.

For more useful insight and advice sign up to our newsletter below!

Topics: Property Management Advice, Tenant Advice, Property Advice

Jon Stul

Written by Jon Stul

Having spent over 12 years in the real estate industry covering all facets from residential through to commercial, established and off plan properties and sub-divisions, he has an in depth knowledge of the industry. Stepping out of the industry four years ago and moving interstate to expand a frozen yoghurt chain that has gone from 1 to 4 stores in the time he has been involved. This was recently sold to Made Group. Real estate has always been in his blood and it was a natural fit to start Bricks + Agent given the amount of insight he has into the industry as a whole. Having seen how all different forms of traditional marketing was used to the direction that it is now heading today, we think we have come up with a truly unique proposition that fits into the current state of the property maintenance market.

Sign up for our newsletter