Advice on tenant proofing for low income properties

[Jimmy Lin]

Hello BP! I am a new investor in York, PA. My current financial situation only allows me to deal with lower income properties. I want to know what you other investors are doing to “tenant proof” your units. I am currently dealing with a 3 unit apartment in a C- neighborhood. I purchased the property for 65k with 2 units occupied with rent being $600 and $700. My target rent for the 3rd vacant unit is $750 after renovation. Currently, I pay all utilities. I already have plans to separate gas and electric. My question is: what type of remodel will best fit this type of property? Should I do carpet, laminate or vinyl flooring? What type of material should I put in the kitchen, bathroom? Should I provide the appliances? I was planning to budget the renovation at 35k capping the whole project at 100k. Any suggestions? Thank you

[Cassi Justiz]

I know of a lot of investors using vinyl plank flooring in lower end rentals for durability. It's a lot more water resistant than laminate and easier to clean/repair than carpet. (Just get a few extra boxes to replace individual pieces as needed). The rest I would say base it off of your neighborhood. It will most likely be laminate counter tops, pre-fab cabinets, etc.