Coldwell Banker Landmarks - Martha's Vineyard Real Estate and Vacation Rentals.

To make your life as a landlord easier, and ensure that your tenants have an enjoyable stay, we have put together the following list of maintenance suggestions and tenancy recommendations for your rental property.

	MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING Your best tenants will be those who choose to return to your property year after year. Cleanliness and attention to maintenance details can make a big difference in a tenant’s first impression.
	*Appliances:* These should be in working order throughout the rental period.
	*Back-up Supplies:* It’s best to keep a back-up stock of toilet paper, bath soap, dish soap, and paper towels for your cleaning person to resupply the house between tenants. Remember, there may only be a few hours between groups of tenants, which doesn’t allow time to run out and shop for supplies. Stock up at the beginning of the season, and ask your cleaning person to notify you when supplies begin to dwindle.
	*Baths and Kitchens:* These rooms should be thoroughly cleaned, with fixtures and appliances gleaming, inside and out. Shower curtain liners should be new at the beginning of each season and replaced during the season as needed. If your house is on septic, it’s a good idea to post a little “bathroom note” advising tenants of proper use.
	Carpets and Upholstered Furniture: These should be cleaned before the rental season. You may want to spray scotch guard or place slip covers on furniture you want to protect or on chairs or couches that are worn.
	*Cleaning Supplies:* Make sure you leave dishwashing detergent, floor cleaners, window-cleaning solution, furniture polish, scouring pads and powder, sponges, mop and bucket, broom, vacuum and bags, and dust pan and brush on hand so tenants can easily clean up after themselves. Although tenants won’t be doing a thorough cleaning of the house, you will want them to clean cooking utensils, kitchen spills, sand, etc.
	*Closets and Drawers:* These should be empty with the exception of linen closets (if you are providing linens) and kitchen drawers with utensils/kitchen towels. Remove all personal items and be sure to clean out areas under sinks and kitchen “junk” drawers.
	*Fire Safety:* Be sure to install and/or change batteries in smoke detectors in the house at the beginning of the season as needed. It’s also a good idea to have fire extinguishers in the kitchen and on each level of the house.
	*Foodstuffs:* Pantries, refrigerators/freezers, and cupboards should be emptied of foodstuffs. Some owners choose to leave spices in the kitchen, but anything that is perishable should be removed.
	*Grills:* Be sure the gas/charcoal grill has been cleaned with each visit. Have your cleaning person check the grill as part of their visit, and have your caretaker keep an eye on the tank. Refill the propane gas tank and have a spare tank on hand. Check the tanks between tenants to ensure that they remain full during the rental season.
	Housewares: Replace broken glasses, silverware, dishes, burned pots and pans, etc. with new ones before the season. Have your cleaning person or property manager notify you if breakage occurs so you can replenish as needed.
	Light Fixtures: These should all be working, with extra light bulbs in the house. Consider adding motion sensors or timers to lights in entry areas or dark walkways.
	*Owner’s Closet:* Create an owner’s closet for personal items you wish to leave in the house. This closet should lock, and you should keep the key.
	*Trash, Trash, Trash:* Leave detailed instructions with regard to trash removal and recycling. Indicate day and time of pick-up, placement of barrels, and details on whether service is provided privately or by the town. Make sure enough trash barrels with shock cords are available as well as trash stickers if town picks up.
	*Yard Work:* Make sure the lawn is mowed and the yard is in good condition for each group of tenants. It’s generally preferable to have a lawn care/gardening service maintain the yard on a scheduled basis throughout the rental season.
	COMMUNICATION & EMERGENCIES Most tenants will be able to make themselves at home in your property with little problem and will have a great vacation. However, from time to time, questions or problems will arise that need to be tended to in a timely manner. Prepare in advance for these issues and your life as a landlord will be much easier!
	Tenant Information Area/Sheet: It’s a good idea to set aside an area (by the phone can be good) in the house where you leave a printed “handout” or have a cork-board or notebook with relevant information for your tenants. Be sure to include the following information:
	Problems or Questions 911 references: As a rural community, we need to provide our Map and Lot numbers to emergency services when we dial 911. Be sure to make this information readily available by the phone. Electrician and plumbing contacts: Information how to handle plumbing emergencies and who to contact. Emergency contact information: Information on who the tenant can contact in an emergency. This needs to be a local contact who can be reached days, holiday weekends and nights. An on-island property manager is often best for this. Housekeeping contact: Never limit your tenant’s ability to keep the place clean — provide contact information for your cleaning service. However, be sure to tell tenants they will need to pay for the housekeeper if used between scheduled cleanings. General Information Association policies for shared beaches, tennis courts, etc: If your property is part of an association that has a private beach, tennis courts or other shared amenities, advise your tenants of the proper use and guidelines for these areas and where keys are located. Beach toys, bikes, and playthings: If you are making these types of items available to your tenants, advise them where they are located, how to use them, and how to leave them in good condition for the next group of tenants. Check-in and check-out: Leave reminders on check-in and check-out times and what needs to be done when a tenant gets ready to leave. Detailed trash instructions: Give instructions on recycling, pick-up day, notes on not leaving trash out in bags that may attract raccoons or crows, etc. Fireplaces: Leave information on wood, flues, screens, and comments and use suggestions regarding fireplaces if you have them. Heat, air conditioners, dehumidifiers: Provide instructions on how these items work, what they need in the area of maintenance (empty water, etc.), and how they should be left at check-out. Keys and alarm system access information: Leave instructions on where these are, how to use them, and what to do with them when they leave. Laundry instructions: This can address everything from how much detergent to use to what to do with laundry when tenants are getting ready to leave. Sprinkler systems and yard maintenance: Advise tenants about gardeners coming, what days to expect them, and any special instructions for sprinkler systems or watering. Appliances & Gadgets Detail all the appliances and any special “tricks” that make them work. Also, put appliance manuals near your “information center,” and let tenants know where these are located. The following items should be addressed: Dishwasher/trash compactor: Include any special instructions that may be needed for these appliances if you have them. Front lights and timers: Give locations of switches and information about location/usage of motion detectors or timers. Hot water: Address any special issues with hot water heaters. Outdoor grill: Include information on where this is, how to use it, where spare propane is, and instructions for cleaning. Ovens and microwaves: Special tips for using the ovens or microwaves if needed. Phones, answering machines, modem lines: Let tenants know the location of phones, the phone numbers, and instructions on the answering machine, including whether or not they can change the message. But sure to let them know if there’s a long-distance block in effect. Smoke alarms: Remind tenants not to disconnect smoke alarms and advise them where fire extinguishers are located. Also advise them of any special issues (for example, a kitchen smoke alarm that’s extra sensitive). Stove: Give any special information on how the stove works. It may also be helpful to note any pans that should not be used on high heat. TVs, stereos, cable boxes: Explain how to use these items, where the controls are, and how the remotes work.