Austin Property Management Blog

In the business of rental homes, tenants are #1. Without them, your property is earning no monthly rent and is instead costing you money during its vacancy. This is why resident retention is an important strategy for any successful Austin property manager. 

Not all tenants are created equally and as a rental homeowner, you probably know this! Replacing a tenant after a lease is up can cost you up to four times the cost of renewing with the current tenant when you begin to factor in expenses such as advertising, cleaning, commissions to any agents, etc. A long-term resident that continues to renew their lease and pay their rent can offset the cost of purchasing the property!

Here are some quick tips to retain your great tenants and drive renewals for your Austin rental property!

Show Your Appreciation

Have a tenant that you really like renting your Austin property? Let them know you appreciate them and their continued business! It can be as simple as providing holiday cards or surprising them with a gift card to their favorite restaurant in South Austin. Offering an incentive to renew such as a break on rent can even be worth it to keep a Grade A tenant in the property! If you like your tenants don’t be afraid to show them and let them know they are always welcome in your home!

Be a Proactive Landlord

Don’t underestimate the importance of the human connection when it comes to your tenants. They are just trying to live their lives and they’ve chosen to do so in your rental property. Lucky you!

When they experience a maintenance issue or emergency don’t brush it off to the side. Instead, be proactive and show them that it’s a priority for you that their situation is rectified as soon as possible. Don’t try and force appointments on your tenants and instead work alongside them and your contractors to find a time that works for everyone! Responsiveness to your tenant(s) plays a big part in whether or not they’ll renew once their lease expires. 

Respect Your Tenant’s Privacy

We’ve all heard horror stories of landlords who are always peering over their tenant’s shoulders. Don’t be this landlord. If you’re ever this worried about a tenant in your property you may reflect on your leasing and the criteria you set for your home. As long as you were firm with the rental criteria and properly vetted your tenants you shouldn’t have much to worry about. This is where an Austin property management company can come in handy if you're looking for a tough vetting process to ensure you find great tenants!

Offer a Pet-Friendly Home

We’d advise this in pretty much every locale in the nation, but when it comes to Austin, Texas you need to understand that you’re in one of the most pet-friendly cities in America. Most renters in our area have pets and they’ll always take priority over your rental home if you make them choose between their beloved pets and your rental property. We understand that pets can be a scary thing to have in your rental property because let’s face it, some pets just aren’t trained as well as others. However, as mentioned before highly-vetted tenants usually take better care of their animals so be sure you are firm with your rental criteria! 

Having a pet-friendly rental home in Austin, Texas is going net you better results than one that denies furry friends!

Upgrade Your Home as You Go

Typically, landlords will wait until they experience a vacancy to go into their property and begin to provide upgraded amenities & appliances. Instead, what if you provided these upgrades as you learn about them and while the tenant is in the home? Your tenant will think you’re great and will love that their home is being upgraded! Want a nest thermostat in your property? Contact your tenant and ask them what they think about it. This not only helps your property improve over time as you make upgrades, but your tenants will appreciate you thinking of them and providing these upgrades while they are in the home. That’s a win-win!

A long-term tenant is something that can ensure your investment property remains a profitable investment. As a landlord, if you have great tenants your goal should always be to retain them for as long as possible. Not only will it save you hundreds if not thousands in vacancy costs, but it will provide you with fewer headaches with your Austin rental home. If you have any questions about retaining tenants or need help finding excellent tenants for your rental property be sure to connect with our team at Stone Oak Property Management!

A question we receive somewhat regularly from property owners and investors is “Should I furnish my Austin rental home?”

The answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no and is completely dependent on the type of property, monthly rent amount, where the property is located & much more. In Austin’s rental market, an unfurnished unit will typically come standard with basic household appliances and sometimes larger ones. These can include a refrigerator, an oven, a microwave, a stove & occasionally they come with dishwashers & laundry machines. When we refer to furnished units we do not mean these types of items and instead are referring to items such as couches, beds, dressers, tables, chairs & more.

There are pros and cons to having a furnished rental property in Austin, Texas and in this quick article we’ll go over them.

A furnished rental property can offer a more complete package to potential renters. Some people don’t like the stress and hassle of moving furniture around from home to home with each move they make. Typically, renters searching for a rental property that comes furnished will be college students, first-time renters and professionals who are seeking short-term leases in an area that they are working. For these types of tenants your Austin rental home can be more of a desired product and can result in potential renters choosing your rental over other available options.

Furnishing your rental home can result in higher rents for your property. Landlords who choose to do so typically pass the cost of outfitting their home with furniture along to the tenants through their monthly rent. Some landlords may even elect to rent furniture if they believe a furnished unit will bring them better results. You’ll want to make sure that if you choose to lease furniture for your property that the tenant understands they are responsible for any damages at the end of their lease term. This can be noted in your lease under a personal property clause or special provisions clause. If you do choose to furnish your rental property be sure to check and see if you can take advantage of the tax benefits of furnishing your rental property.

Furnished rentals make great short-term rentals! Depending on your goals for renting your home in Austin, Texas, this may be what you are looking to accomplish. If so, that is great! You’d be hard pressed to find any short vacation rentals that don’t come pre-furnished and any that do probably aren’t doing great financially. On the other hand, pre-furnished units can be hard to find long-term occupants. Most people who opt into a long-term rental lease typically acquire bits of furniture for their home over the years. If you are furnishing a long-term rental be prepared to pay for a storage unit in the event your tenant doesn’t want your furniture. That or you may be forced to miss out on qualified, rent-paying tenants!

Providing an unfurnished rental home in Austin allows for the tenant to make the space their own. This allows someone to come in and turn your home into their (temporary) home that they could stay in for years. People get attached to certain things and a home is definitely one of them. By allowing tenants in your home to decorate as they please you open yourself up to a greater possibility of having long-term tenants and less downtime with your Austin rental property. With that said, you won’t be able to charge as much rent as you might like with an unfurnished rental property and you won’t be able to guarantee that a tenant’s furniture won’t damage your property. (Scratches on the floor, etc.)

So, is furnishing your home for lease in Austin, Texas a worthwhile idea?

It depends on what goals you've set for your Austin, TX rental property!

Consider the area in which your property is in and who the target demographic is. If you’re property is by UT and you’re dealing with mainly college students a furnished unit could be great idea! If you’re in more a suburban area renting to a family you might find that they have and will be providing their own furniture they’ve been able to acquire throughout the years.

If furnishing your rental property allows for more profitability in the long-run we say go for it, but most of our single-family homes come unfurnished for the tenants we work with here in Austin, Texas!

For questions about your Austin rental property, furnished units or to chat with our property management team feel free to contact us through our site or give us a call at 512.617.6766!

2510 Ben Doran Court, Cedar Park, TX 78613

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Aiming to hire an Austin property manager for your rental property(s)? If you’re someone who can’t drop everything you're doing at the ring of your phone for your tenant you are making a great choice! Be sure to keep the following points in mind so when choosing your Austin property manager you’ll know what to look for.

Tip #1 – Verify the manager’s experience

When looking for an Austin property manager you need to look for one with experience in the market. Your property(s) are investments that you intend on a having for years to come and hiring a manager with the right experience can help ensure the longevity of your property. You can screen your property manager in a couple of ways. You can always check the Texas Real Estate Commission to check their licenses & certifications. Asking the company for references can help you get in touch with the people they currently work for and let you get an idea of how they’ll treat you as the property owner. Another good way to get an idea of how an Austin property manager operates is to read the reviews left for the company online. This helps you see how both owners AND tenants view the prospective property management company.  

Tip #2 – Inquire about the properties they manage and if what they specialize in works for you

Before hiring any property manager to handle your Austin, Texas rental home you’ll want to make sure they are setup to manage a property like yours. Some property managers specialize in multi-family properties while some only focus on single-family or even HOA accounts.
Once you have an idea of the types of properties your ideal company manages you should get a few addresses of the homes they manage and drive by them to have a look at them. Are they in rent-able condition? Is the property being treated properly? Doing so will give you an idea of how well they care for the properties they manage and whether or not you’d be comfortable having them manage your home.

Tip #3 – Are you hiring a team or a single party?

The last thing you’ll want to be sure of when exploring the idea of property management is that you are hiring a full property management team for your home and not just a ‘do-it-all’ single-party. Great property management companies in Austin will have their companies compartmentalized into different departments that are readily available to handle every aspect of your home – accounting, leasing, customer service, maintenance, etc. Having a team behind your back can help ensure any issues are addressed in a timely manner and all parties involved remain satisfied.

To learn what a leader in Austin property management can provide you and your rental properties give Stone Oak Property Management a call today at 512.617.6766. If you’re interested in renting out your home in Austin, Texas we’d be happy to show you how much rent you can earn!

1513 Lorraine Loop, Austin, TX 78758

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2601 Etta May Lane, Leander, TX 78641

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