Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 12 votes
Hi, dear landlords on BP!!! I am going to close my first BRRRR house this month and will start the renovation next month. The strategy for this house is for rent for a few years then sell it or maybe just keep it as a rental house. So we gonna redo the whole house as we want the ARV good because we use the hard money.
We already have a family who will rent it and they have a beagle dog. So is that better to have the tile even in the bedrooms? As the dog may scratch the laminate floors even while they run around in the house.There are laminate floors in the living room and bedrooms but some part is old, so we plan to remove them and put the floor looking tiles in the living room and kitchen. But as they have dog and for future renters who may have dogs, is that better to put the same tiles even in the bedrooms and the hallway?
And any other tips for renovating rental properties? I appreciate all tips.
Investor · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9y
@Yingchun Li get a double security deposit for a pet or at least 1/2 a month rent pet deposit. Some landlords will charge a little extra rent for a pet. You have to test the market and see what it will allow you to get away with. Put in the most durable flooring you can thats cost effective but it also has to look good. Shop around and ask some contractors and local investors.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
9y
Don't base the renovation on one tenant. Are tile bedroom floors normal in your area for this class of rental? here tile would not be a plus because of the cold. people use wood or carpet but in your area if it is worth the extra cost go for it. I don't do carpet 99% of the time,doesn't last.
I'm a fan of the wood-like tile. Looks good. Holds up nicely.
yeah, I like it too. Do you choose ceramic or porcelain? I see the ceramic is economic for a rental house especially I gonna do the whole house. Is it good enough?
Don't base the renovation on one tenant. Are tile bedroom floors normal in your area for this class of rental? here tile would not be a plus because of the cold. people use wood or carpet but in your area if it is worth the extra cost go for it. I don't do carpet 99% of the time,doesn't last.
here the tile is very popular as we have warm winter in Texas. I see a lot of rental houses use tiles for the whole house.
@Yingchun Li get a double security deposit for a pet or at least 1/2 a month rent pet deposit. Some landlords will charge a little extra rent for a pet. You have to test the market and see what it will allow you to get away with. Put in the most durable flooring you can thats cost effective but it also has to look good. Shop around and ask some contractors and local investors.
We charged $250 for 1 pet security deposit for the other rental house. The realtor said it's a standard amount here. I will go the most durable flooring and have a good look.
If you intend to renovate I would defiantly not allow any pets.
I agree with you. But this case is a bit different as it's a lease back to the seller and she has 1 beagle. We agreed with it as she sold us at a good price.
@Yingchun Li get a double security deposit for a pet or at least 1/2 a month rent pet deposit. Some landlords will charge a little extra rent for a pet. You have to test the market and see what it will allow you to get away with. Put in the most durable flooring you can thats cost effective but it also has to look good. Shop around and ask some contractors and local investors.
We charged $250 for 1 pet security deposit for the other rental house. The realtor said it's a standard amount here. I will go the most durable flooring and have a good look.
Check your states landlord tenant laws as this pet/animal deposit varies. My state is 1/4 of the rent max. This should be considered a fee not deposit as this is not refundable in many states.
@Yingchun Li get a double security deposit for a pet or at least 1/2 a month rent pet deposit. Some landlords will charge a little extra rent for a pet. You have to test the market and see what it will allow you to get away with. Put in the most durable flooring you can thats cost effective but it also has to look good. Shop around and ask some contractors and local investors.
We charged $250 for 1 pet security deposit for the other rental house. The realtor said it's a standard amount here. I will go the most durable flooring and have a good look.
Check your states landlord tenant laws as this pet/animal deposit varies. My state is 1/4 of the rent max. This should be considered a fee not deposit as this is not refundable in many states.
Costa Mesa, CA · Member since 2016 · 17 posts · 10 votes
9y
@Yingchun Li Speaking from a position that I was considering renting out my newly updated condo in Saint Paul, MN I was very much so willing to accept a dog that was within the HOA Rules, but NO cats. Now it should be known that my opinion is bias as I am a dog person with a beautiful Aussie/Border Collie.
But on the other hand I had to consider the materials based on my own dog living in the unit and/or a potential renter. So I opted for the highest quality engineered laminate that was in stock (Pergo Max).
This combined with a strict tenant screening process could yield a very high quality tenant, because as you can see most landlords restrict pets for the potential damage and liabilities they have experienced or hypothesized. That as one interviewee put it can be a competitive edge that attracts and retains much higher quality renters for much longer.
Also in an effort to apply some data from my current read "Traction: Get A Grip on Your Business"
Reconsider the renter you already have in the pipeline. Just because a seat opens up and someone may be a good fit for the seat doesn't mean they are the best fit for the seat.
A Rat Terrier could cause more damage then a German Shepard it all depends on the owner.
Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 12 votes
9y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
@Yingchun Li Speaking from a position that I was considering renting out my newly updated condo in Saint Paul, MN I was very much so willing to accept a dog that was within the HOA Rules, but NO cats. Now it should be known that my opinion is bias as I am a dog person with a beautiful Aussie/Border Collie.
But on the other hand I had to consider the materials based on my own dog living in the unit and/or a potential renter. So I opted for the highest quality engineered laminate that was in stock (Pergo Max).
This combined with a strict tenant screening process could yield a very high quality tenant, because as you can see most landlords restrict pets for the potential damage and liabilities they have experienced or hypothesized. That as one interviewee put it can be a competitive edge that attracts and retains much higher quality renters for much longer.
Also in an effort to apply some data from my current read "Traction: Get A Grip on Your Business"
Reconsider the renter you already have in the pipeline. Just because a seat opens up and someone may be a good fit for the seat doesn't mean they are the best fit for the seat.
A Rat Terrier could cause more damage then a German Shepard it all depends on the owner.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for the tips. I read that book Traction and really enjoyed it!!!
If you have the ability to, I would stain/seal or just seal the concrete. Now you may have glue stains and etc, but if not I would definitely go that route. It's the cheapest and easiest diy.
Otherwise I would definitely go with a lighter, neutral tile. You can get it fairly cheap and cleaning during turnover is easy. I just pressure wash the grout in the entry ways and high traffic areas and it looks like new. Save a bag of the grout in the attic in case of chips due to wear or dog nails.
I would never allow a cat in any of my homes. For one, they're gross. Climbing all over the counters and purr-rubbing their *** on the dinner plates, yuck. Second and most important, I'm severely allergic to cats and since I'm the owner/operator it could pose serious health risks.
If you end up renting to the Beagle people, you need to charge a ~$250 pet fee and an additional $20/25 pet rent per month. Deep cleaning a rental after pets can be expensive especially taking into consideration yard, door, and smell damage.
I would use porcelain in the bathrooms/kitchen/mud rooms for sure and make sure to get a more textured tile for the bathrooms as tile can be very slippery with wet feet. In the rest of the house you could use either really, but would personally use porcelain as it absorbs less water (nearly water proof).
Lender · White Bear Township, MN · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9y
It's funny how we all have different views. I rent older homes and love tenants with cats. Nearly every tenant I have or have had has had a cat. I have had issues with mice on occasion when my buildings do not have any cats. I have had one issue with a cat spraying, but the tenant's deposit paid for new carpet so it did cause me work but I got the free carpet out of it. My lease stipulates that the deposit will go to carpet replacement if the cat urinates on the carpet so it works for me. I get great tenants that are willing to pay more for my places and my willingness to allow cats is part of the reason.
Hi, dear landlords on BP!!! I am going to close my first BRRRR house this month and will start the renovation next month. The strategy for this house is for rent for a few years then sell it or maybe just keep it as a rental house. So we gonna redo the whole house as we want the ARV good because we use the hard money.
We already have a family who will rent it and they have a beagle dog. So is that better to have the tile even in the bedrooms? As the dog may scratch the laminate floors even while they run around in the house.There are laminate floors in the living room and bedrooms but some part is old, so we plan to remove them and put the floor looking tiles in the living room and kitchen. But as they have dog and for future renters who may have dogs, is that better to put the same tiles even in the bedrooms and the hallway?
And any other tips for renovating rental properties? I appreciate all tips.
I would go with the tile. I used to do a lot of work for a larger investor and one by one we replaced all the flooring with tile.
There was one that was a long term tenant that wanted laminate so we did that. Two years later we replaced it with tile anyway. She had moved in dogs even though that was forbidden.
In Texas tile is to me the best way to go. Just use ceramic or whatever is on special that suits you. Cat urine it whatever else just needs cleaning and disinfecting and not replacing.
If you are renovating now, I would 100% do the wood-plank ceramic tile throughout the house! It's beautiful, durable, pets can't destroy it, and also.. b/c it's tile and kind of colder on the feet, people normally put down rugs and stuff, hence protecting it even more! I would NOT do laminate!
Also, I second the mention of a cat... dogs are fine, and dogs can be crated or let outside to do business, but cats.. (speaking from experience) are 100% dependent on the owner being responsible about the litter box, I don't trust tenants to take care of a litter box, and then ya know what happens-- cat pisses everywhere/anywhere it wants. Tile is so easy to clean, and looks beautiful, check out Floor and Decor if you have one nearby!
I'm a fan of the wood-like tile. Looks good. Holds up nicely.
yeah, I like it too. Do you choose ceramic or porcelain? I see the ceramic is economic for a rental house especially I gonna do the whole house. Is it good enough?
I'm a fan of the wood-like tile. Looks good. Holds up nicely.
yeah, I like it too. Do you choose ceramic or porcelain? I see the ceramic is economic for a rental house especially I gonna do the whole house. Is it good enough?
Ceramic is usually cheaper, but porcelain is more durable. Also, if scratched or chipped porcelain is the same color all the way through. Ceramic has a different color under the surface.
Bladensburg, OH · Member since 2017 · 40 posts · 10 votes
9y
I think it really depends on the neighborhood. I think there are some markets where you need to be pet friendly to stay competitive (especially in cities like NYC).
If you think you need to be pet friendly to keep tenants I'd say go for a laminate/faux wood floor that has pieces that click together. It's water proof, doesn't have the same maintenance of wood and is generally cheaper than tile.
Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9y
Here is an example of the ceramic wood looking tile we use, it's durable, waterproof, doesn't stain, easy to clean, can't say enough good things about tile!!! People put down rugs/carpet, so it even secures it more! It takes the stress out of being a landlord if the tenant has a dog. (disregard missing baseboard)
And yes, porcelain tile is much nicer, but it's more expensive.