A rental property goes through a process known as “turnover” between every tenant. This is when landlords do repairs, complete upgrades, and clean the unit in preparation for a new tenant to take up residence. Now more than ever, cleanliness has taken center stage for landlords as the COVID-19 pandemic weighs on everyone’s mind. As a property owner, do you have a full day to devote to cleaning a property? How could you better use that time to further your investments? Continue reading below as we discover why turning to a professional cleaning company is the way to go for rental properties. Plus, we examine the benefits of professional cleaning and what to look for when choosing the right professional cleaning company for your investment portfolio.
Should You Hire a Professional Cleaning Company for Your Rental Property?
Can a landlord get away with cleaning their own units? Yes. Should they? Probably not.
Rental properties and multi-family buildings present several problems when it comes to cleaning. This is not a matter of straightening up before company comes; cleaning between renters requires thorough attention to every surface. Consider the common task list below as just a few examples of what is involved in preparing a home for a new tenant.
Sweeping
Vacuuming
Dusting All Surfaces
Sanitizing Surfaces
Washing Tile or Linoleum Flooring
Cleaning Grout
Carpet Cleaning
Wiping Doors and Sanitizing Handles
Window Cleaning
Garage Sweeping
Wiping Down Ceiling Fans and Lights
Spot Cleaning Walls
Deep Cleaning Appliances
Wiping Down Cabinets
Additionally, if your property is multi-family, common areas need equal attention to detail. Keep in mind that cleanliness is a major deciding factor for prospective tenants. Therefore, an untidy common area or unit is a turn off that can drive away your business. However, boasting a professional cleaning shows tenants just how much you care about them and the rental property condition, which sets a tone for the entire lease.
Why Hire a Professional Cleaning Company?
For landlords, property turnover and the expenses that go along with it are inevitable. However, part of being a successful rental property owner is knowing how to get the most value for what you spend. Let’s take a look below at the benefits of turning to a third-party service for all your rental property cleaning needs.
Benefits of a Professional Rental Property Cleaning Company
Frees Up the Landlord’s Time – Let’s face it, the to-do list for rental property owners is never-ending. However, when someone else takes on cleaning, that means you do not have to. A cleaning company has the staff and experience to properly clean rental units efficiently and thoroughly. Therefore, landlords can focus on other management operations to further grow their business.
Reputable Professional Experience – Remember, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can hire a bargain cleaner, but are you really doing yourself a favor? Alternatively, a professional cleaning service prides themselves on their reputation. Worthwhile companies have the expertise and support staff to handle any job with a satisfaction guarantee.
Flexible and Faster Turnover – Landlords cannot be in multiple places at once. That said, what do you do when you have multiple vacancies that need cleaning? The longer anything sits vacant, the more money you lose. Therefore, hiring a professional company adds flexibility to the cleaning schedule, which, in turn, helps you complete the turnover process quicker.
Customer Service – Knowing a rental property has been professionally cleaned gives incoming tenants a sense of confidence—this attention to detail results in fewer complaints and overall better customer service. Building a strong landlord-tenant relationship from the start is critical to the success of the lease. A clean property is a great place to start.
Long Term Savings – Not every expense translates to dollars and cents; sometimes, the cost is hours. Hiring professionals cost money; however, it is money well spent. All of your DIY hours add up to missed opportunities for other essential management tasks. How much could that be costing your business in the long run? The answer is likely more than the cost of professional cleaning.
9 Tips for Finding the Best Third-Party Cleaning Company
Hiring vendors of any kind for your rental properties involves some due diligence and research. However, finding ones you can rely on is worth the extra effort. Check out these tips for finding the best professional cleaning company for your rental property business.
Stay Local
Licensed and Bonded
References and Reputation
Availability and Flexibility
Fees and Discounts
Employees and Training
Proof of Cleaning Checklist
Cleaning Products and MSDS
Satisfaction Guarantee
Stay Local
Supporting local businesses is the way to go whenever possible and for a few reasons. Local companies are ingrained into the community and value face to face interactions to provide excellent customer service. Additionally, a local office ensures crews will reach you faster than someone coordinating from out of town.
Licensed and Bonded
Any reputable cleaning company can provide proof they are fully licensed and carry the necessary insurance. Liability insurance protects both you and their employees should an accident happen on the premises.
References and Reputation
Ask them to provide a few current references, in particular, other rental property owners. Additionally, take time to research their online presence and customer reviews. See what others are saying about them; it may help in your decision.
Availability and Flexibility
Simply put, what are their hours? Do they have the staff to schedule on short notice if needed? The goal is to find the best flexibility to meet the needs of a busy turnover process.
Fees and Discounts
Weighing the company’s fees against the services and flexibility they offer is crucial. Also, see if they provide any discounts or loyalty programs for reoccurring clients. This may go a long way in establishing a go-to professional relationship.
Employees and Training
Whatever company you choose will send employees into your valuable investment property. Therefore, ensure those employees have been thoroughly trained and vetted. Inquire about the company’s training and hiring process. When it comes to a cleaning service, experience equals efficiency.
Proof of Cleaning Checklist
Any good company will have an established process for not missing any of the details throughout a home. Inquire as to whether they have a cleaning checklist for their staff and obtain a copy if possible. Since you are an offsite owner, ask if they are willing to provide photos of the completed job for your records in times when you cannot inspect it yourself.
Cleaning Products and MSDS
What products do they use? Are products safe and natural? For safety, can they provide Material Data Safety Sheets on the products they use? Have any of their cleaning protocols changed due to COVID-19? All of these questions are essential to determining which professional company is a good fit for your business.
Satisfaction Guarantee
Do they offer a satisfaction guarantee? What steps do they take to make the job right? Landlords rely on a professional cleaning company doing a great job to not only satisfy the tenant but maintain the property itself. Beware if a company does not stand behind their work.
Savvy investors know that the support of trusted vendors and staff is crucial to their overall success. One way to handle the endless tasks of rental ownership is to hire a local property management company. They act on behalf of the owner to manage the day to day responsibilities from marketing and leasing to accounting and maintenance. A reputable rental property management company has both the in-house staff and vendor relationships needed to complete unit turnover quickly to limit vacancy time. These industry experts can vouch for the importance of a professionally cleaned rental property as it directly affects tenant satisfaction and, therefore, your bottom line.