Make no mistake about it: Investing in rental properties can be a lucrative venture. However, there’s a trade-off, where upkeep and preventative maintenance occupy your time and drain your profit. Tenants, while the source of your rental income, can sometimes cause wear and tear that goes beyond normal use, leading to expensive and time-consuming repairs. 

To safeguard your investment and ensure its longevity, it’s crucial to look at ways to make your rental units as indestructible as possible. This guide, “6 Rental Unit Repairs to Make Your Investment Property Indestructible,” is designed to provide landlords and property investors with practical measures to harden their rentals against potential damages caused by tenants.

Let’s start with why you’d want to “harden” your property:

Why Should I Perform Preventative Maintenance and Harden My Rental Properties?

• Reduces Maintenance Costs: Regular repairs and maintenance can quickly eat into your profits. By hardening your property, you minimize the need for frequent fixes.
• Enhances Tenant Satisfaction: Durable, low-maintenance properties are more appealing to tenants, leading to longer tenancies and reduced vacancy rates.
• Prevents Major Damages: Strong, resilient features and installations prevent significant damage, saving you from expensive overhauls.
• Improves Property Value: A well-maintained, hardened property can command higher rent and increase in value over time.
• Simplifies Property Management: With fewer emergency repairs and maintenance issues, property management becomes much more straightforward.

To help you realize the best ROI on your investment property, here are six (6) ways to get started:

• Essential Access: Streamlining Maintenance with Access Panels

• Seasonal Shielding: Winterizing Your Property

• Unbreakable Fixtures: Reinforcing Bathroom Accessories

• Dual Defense: Double Doorstoppers

• Moisture Barrier: Securing Basements and Crawlspaces

• Simplified Landscaping: Easy Maintenance Outdoors

1. Essential Access: Streamlining Maintenance with Access Panels

Access panels play a crucial role in home maintenance by providing easy access to areas that require frequent inspections or occasional repairs. These panels are designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding area while offering a convenient entry point to plumbing, electrical systems, and other home infrastructure. 

By integrating access panels into key areas of a home, maintenance workers and contractors can quickly address maintenance issues, prevent severe damage, and ensure the longevity of their property’s critical systems. 

The following table highlights the importance of access panels in various parts of the home, offering practical tips and suggestions for their installation and use.

Area	Importance	Tips/Advice
Bathroom Plumbing Access	Access panels are crucial for preventing and mitigating water damage, allowing for quick resolution of issues like leaks and blockages.	Consider installing access panels for easy maintenance without significant disruption.
Kitchen Sink and Dishwasher Area	These areas can be maintenance hotspots due to the intricate network of plumbing and electrical connections.	Installing access panels here can simplify inspections and repairs, especially in kitchens with custom cabinetry.
Utility or Laundry Room	This area often houses critical systems like water heaters and HVAC units.	Regular maintenance checks are essential; accessible panels make these checks easier.
Attic Entrances	Attics contain important components like insulation and wiring, beyond just storage.	Maintaining an accessible entrance facilitates regular inspections and access.
Basement and Foundation Areas	Prone to leaks, mold, and structural damage, these areas require regular inspection.	In finished basements, creating access points is vital for the early detection and resolution of issues.

My Experience Access Points

I learned how critical a well-placed access panel can be when I found myself being forced to create one in the ceiling of a main floor bathroom that was directly under the upstairs bathroom.

 It was the middle of winter with below-freezing weather. The upstairs bathtub was not draining water. It turns out that the water in the P-trap was frozen and not allowing water to run and drain the bathtub. Knowing that there was another bathroom directly underneath, I was able to locate where to cut open the ceiling to thaw out the P-Trap. This all happened in a panic, hoping that there wasn’t any more frozen pipe, especially a copper water line that had the potential to burst. After thawing the P-trap I discovered an unsealed area of the house that was allowing a draft of wind inside the house from behind the drywall, which is what ultimately led to the freezing pipe. Insulation was added to the area and I took the opportunity to make this a permanent access point for any future maintenance. 

2. Seasonal Shielding: Winterizing Your Property

Preventative measures to protect your rental from the rigors of winter are essential. This includes a comprehensive checklist of winterization tasks to safeguard plumbing, heating systems, and the building’s exterior against freezing temperatures and potential damage.

Every home has different winterization needs, but the following rental home winterization checklist is comprehensive for most dwellings:

Winterization Checklist for Homeowners

• Inspect Roof: Check for damaged, loose, or missing shingles and repair as necessary to prevent leaks.
• Clean Gutters: Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage.
• Seal Gaps and Cracks: Seal gaps around windows and doors to prevent cold air from entering.
• Check Insulation: Ensure adequate insulation in attics, walls, and basements to maintain heat.
• Service Heating System: Have the furnace or heating system serviced by a professional to ensure efficiency and safety.
• Drain Outdoor Faucets: Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses and faucets to prevent freezing and bursting pipes.
• Insulate Pipes: Insulate exposed plumbing, especially in unheated areas, to prevent freezing.
• Inspect Chimney and Fireplace: Have a professional inspect and clean the chimney and fireplace before use.
• Protect Entryways: Place weather-resistant mats or rugs at entryways to protect floors from snow and mud.
• Examine Exterior Walls: Check for cracks or holes in exterior walls and foundation, and seal them.
• Check Attic Ventilation: Ensure that the attic is well-ventilated to prevent ice dams on the roof.
• Test Sump Pump: Ensure the sump pump is functioning correctly to handle any winter melting or rain.
• Install Storm Windows and Doors: Replace screens with storm windows or doors to add an extra layer of insulation.
• Consider capping exposed exterior wooden areas with alumnimum: such as exterior door frames, windows, awnings, columns, etc.

Note: Many of these winterization steps do not apply to those living in warmer climates such as the Southern U.S. 

3. Unbreakable Fixtures: Reinforcing Bathroom Accessories

When you’re managing a rental property, it’s key to keep everything in good shape for as long as possible. One tricky area? Bathroom accessories like towel racks and toilet paper holders. 

Normally, these are put up with special wall plugs meant for drywall, which is what the instructions say to do. But there’s a catch—especially in places that see a lot of different renters or families with kids who sometimes hang off them like a pull-up bar. It turns out that these fixtures often get pulled right off the wall, leaving damaged drywall behind.

The smart move? Screw those bathroom helpers right into the wall studs, which are the stronger parts of the wall. This tip might not be the first thing you think of, because it’s not the usual way to do things. But if you try it, you’ll see a big difference. This means that no matter how much they get tugged on, they won’t budge. It’s a simple change, but it can save you from a lot of repair work and costs down the line.

4. Dual Defense: Double Doorstoppers

Double down on your doorstoppers. One of the best ways to preserve your rental is by installing door stoppers. Rather than just install one and calling it a day, consider investing in two–here’s why:

Normally, one doorstop is all you’ll see in a home, where the doorstopper is secured to the baseboard at the bottom. However, curious kids and pets can remove/play with these. By adding another stopper to the wall for the doorknob, you double up the protection from repetitive door movements that chip away at your walls and paint.

5. Moisture Barrier: Securing Basements and Crawlspaces

Waterproofing your crawlspace or basement is a critical step in preserving the integrity of your rental and ensuring a healthy living environment for renters. Water and moisture infiltration can cause severe damage, including structural issues, mold growth, and a host of other problems that threaten both the property and the health of its occupants. 

The cornerstone of effective basement and crawlspace waterproofing is the installation of a solid delimiter, such as a waterproof membrane or coating, that acts as a barrier against moisture. This barrier helps prevent water from seeping through walls and floors, which is especially important in areas prone to heavy rain or flooding. 

However, merely blocking water with a delimiter is not enough. Since water can accumulate around the foundation, causing pressure and potential leakage, a comprehensive approach includes measures to remove this water efficiently.

Here, the sump pump comes into play—a critical component of a waterproofing system. A sump pump is installed at the lowest part of the crawlspace or basement to collect and expel water away from the property, thus preventing water from pooling and entering the living space. The effectiveness of a sump pump can be the difference between a dry basement and costly water damage repairs.

6. Simplified Landscaping: Easy Maintenance Outdoors

Adopting a minimalist approach to landscaping not only reduces maintenance efforts but also minimizes potential damages. Strategies for creating a low-maintenance outdoor space can include:

• Limiting the Use of Trees and Shrubs: Opt for fewer, strategically placed trees and shrubs to reduce maintenance needs, such as pruning and leaf cleanup.
• Incorporating Mulch Areas: Use mulch in garden beds to suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, and reduce the need for frequent watering and weeding.
• Implementing Hardscaping Elements: Add hardscaping features like stone paths, patios, or decorative rocks to reduce the number of grassy areas and garden beds that require regular maintenance.
• Using Ground Cover Plants: Plant ground covers in large patches to minimize lawn area, as they require less upkeep than traditional grass and help prevent erosion.
• Establishing a Low-Maintenance Lawn: Opt for grass species known for their drought resistance and low mowing requirements to keep the lawn looking good with less effort.

Note: Depending on your tenant’s capabilities, you may want to offer a discount on rent if they maintain the property. Not only does this provide savings, but also makes tenants feel more responsible for the look of “their” home. Of course, YMMV.

As you can see, taking the time to harden your rental property means big savings and fewer headaches in the future. Feel free to bookmark this page and use it as a reference when evaluating your rental property(ies). 

For more insights and guidance on preserving your rental property, explore more great topics on Real Estate Recent. This resource is your key to navigating property tax complexities confidently.