7th June 2019

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Tips for turning your house into a rental property

Apartment for Rent

Thinking of moving? Before planting a "for sale" sign in your yard, consider this: You may be able to make money with your current home by turning it into a rental. There is a process to that, but it can be done in a smart, efficient way. And done right, you can easily attract the types of people who would rather rent than own their own home. Find out some of the important steps to turn the home you own into a lucrative rental, and some of the money pits to avoid.

Get the Right Mortgage

If you've been living in your home, you'll need to convert to an investment mortgage. "The rates are usually a little bit higher, but there is a specific mortgage that can be an investment mortgage. "You need to inform the mortgage company ... let them know that you're turning this into an investment property.

Make Repairs Before Tenants Move In

You can't afford to make repairs while a tenant is living there. "We want to repair anything before they move in because after they move in, things become a lot more difficult, avoid repeated repairs. "Landlords have to understand that they are responsible to repair everything that they provide. If it's going to cost more for you to keep fixing and maintaining it, might as well just replace it.

Always Repaint and Upgrade Appliances

Two easy ways to add value to a rental unit are fresh paint and new appliances. "People walk in, they want to see things freshly painted. A fresh coat of paint, new appliances, and you can ask top dollar for your home. New appliances can add a great deal of value to a home."

Kick the Carpet to the Curb

Sherwin cautions that old carpet can lower a rental home's value. "If the carpet is old, it might be better to replace it with wooden floors. Renters do not want to see carpeting in a home.

Plan to Spend More for Insurance

Your homeowner's insurance only covers owner-occupied homes, so when you move new people in you'll have to switch your policy. "It usually costs about 20% more for insurance for an investor than it does for a homeowner. I also think tenants should look into their own insurance because a landlord is basically insuring the property itself. They should get renter's insurance [for] their personal property."

Check Zoning Specifics

The good news is that if you own your home, zoning was probably already taken care of by the developer. "If you own a home, your home is most likely in a residential zone already. However, there may be specific limits to the number of tenants who can live in the home, so you'll need to check.

Avoid Unoccupied Months

The greatest cost to a landlord is having the home unoccupied, as each empty month is lost income. "Homeowners generally underestimate how much time it takes for them to complete the turnover" from one tenant to the next. They think it's going to be one month sometimes It can takes up two months. So, the lesson here? Start advertising for new tenants earlier than you think you should.

Don't Waste Time Negotiating Contractors

Instead of shopping around to save a few hundred bucks on repairs, get them done ASAP so that you can move a rent-paying tenant into your house. Landlords get four or five bids … to save a few hundred bucks, but then they spend a month trying to locate a vendor that gives them this price," resulting in loss of rental income.

Location Is Still King

The rules of real estate still apply to rentals — meaning where your property is located is a major factor. "Anywhere near train towns where people are commuting into the city, they go for a higher rent, "so location is something you should look at also.

Price It At Market Value or Lower

Another hidden cost would be trying to get more than the market value of your home. If you're holding out for an extra 100 euros a month, you could miss whole months of rent payments. "I would recommend that they price the property at the market value or a little bit below the market value if they want to rent it out quickly," he adds. "The key is to rent it out as fast as possible."

Document Before Move-In Day

When you're ready to move a tenant in, photograph your home so there's a record of its prior condition. "We have a 360-degree camera so with one click of the button, we take a picture of the entire property. Take as many as possible so when renters move out there's no dispute."

Hire a Property Manager

A property manager can help you find a renter quicker and avoid vacancy. "It might sound biased because this is what I do, but in my honest opinion a good property manager doesn't cost. It pays to have one, especially if you live out of Brussels ... you need someone who can be in charge of the property." But, even "if you live locally," "I also recommend you get one."

Use a Professional Lease Agreement

The lease agreement will be your binding contract with a tenant. "This is where I see landlords make mistakes the most, "I have seen landlords draft their own lease agreement, and they're not enforceable.

Be Clear About Rules

As part of the lease agreement, the homeowner should set clear rules about what the renter may do in their home. "Are you going to allow animals in the home? Are you going to allow smoking? I think it's very important for landlords that they think very carefully of the rules and regulations that they would like to impose on tenants.

Tax Breaks

Fortunately, many of the costs of maintaining a rental property become tax deductions. Landlords "can write off pretty much everything from the management fee to the maintenance to the accounting fee to the depreciation, the mortgage, the insurance. However, not everything is a write-off. While you can write off the cost of materials for repairs, the time and effort you put into fixing up a home or making repairs is not deductible."

Keep Separate Bank Accounts

If you're renting out your home, you should have separate bank accounts for personal income and rental income. Rental property owners "should not comingle the funds. "That deposit is not yours, [and it] should stay there" until renters move out, and then only touched if all or a portion of it is kept for damages.