Being a landlord for an apartment or other residential complex has advantages. You get a relatively steady amount of income, and in most cases, you have somewhere to live in. However, one disadvantage also applies to pretty much anyone with a business: not having enough time for a vacation. After all, you need to be there to attend to matters and collect rent from the tenants. It’s possible to make time for it, but you have to do the following things:
Get Someone Else to Fill In
One of the first things that you have do take is to find a temporary replacement for you. Even if you think that your tenants and contractors will be alright without you around to manage, you still need someone to do your job. They might encounter emergencies, or you might forget to tell them something or fix a problem before you leave. Get a trusted friend or family member to replace you, or you can hire a property management company to take care of matters for you. Just remember to leave them some guidelines on what you need to be done while you’re away.
Notify Your Tenants
Just like how your tenants should notify you when they go out for vacation, you should let them know as well. Tell them how long you’re going to be out for, what they should expect to happen, and what you expect they should do. You should also introduce them to your replacement so that they’ll know whom to talk to regarding matters in the complex. Be sure to do so well in advance so that they’ll have time to prepare and get essential things settled with you before your departure.
Talk With Contractors
If you need to have renovations or maintenance done while you’re going to be away, you should talk with your contractors. Actually, even if you don’t, it’s best to notify them that you’re going to leave. As with the tenants, tell them about the duration, and make the necessary arrangements with them. You can plan the maintenance or renovation in advance or have your replacement attend to it when they arrive. Just make sure that with the latter, your stand-in knows precisely what to do.
Keep Communications Open
You can’t say that there is no chance that emergencies will come up while you’re away. That’s why you should leave your contact details with your replacement, at least. You can give them your phone number, email address, and even your other messaging accounts. Also, make sure that you have the means to receive calls and messages that come your way. But while you should keep your lines open, you don’t have to check for notifications continually. Just make sure you check at a regular hour and notify the people involved of that time as well.
It can be hard to make vacation arrangements when you’re a landlord. But as long as you time it right and communicate matters effectively, you won’t experience too many problems. Make it such that you can enjoy it and get the rest that you need.
