Preparing a vacant apartment and finding the right tenant

Assessment and recommendation

We viewed the apartment the way an applicant would. The issues were not structural, but they were the first things anyone noticed: scuffed walls, a broken cabinet door, a damaged countertop and mold in the bathroom. The listing photographs, taken on a phone, made the apartment look smaller and darker than it was.

We recommended a short list of repairs aimed at those first impressions. We also advised the owner to treat the mold properly and find its cause rather than simply painting over it, so that it would not return during the next tenancy.

Work performed

With the owner’s approval, we coordinated a repaint, a new cabinet door and countertop, and mold treatment with re-grouting in the bathroom, together with a check of the ventilation. When the work was finished, we arranged professional photographs and relisted the apartment. We handled the enquiries and viewings, screened applicants, presented our recommendation to the owner and coordinated the lease. The move-in condition was recorded in writing and with photographs.

Communication and approval

The owner received the assessment and a quote for each item before any work began, and approved them in writing. We sent photographs as the work progressed and when it was complete. The owner saw the shortlist of applicants and made the final decision on the tenant.

Result

With the visible problems fixed and the apartment properly presented, it attracted suitable applicants and was let to long-term tenants. The apartment has stayed under our management since, so the tenant contacts us rather than the owner. If the tenant reports any sign of damp, we go and look ourselves, and the bathroom will be checked again when we record the apartment’s condition at the next change of tenant.