Remove Sink in Bedroom?

Question

Hello all,

I am currently under contract on a 4bd/2bth property that will become a long-term section 8 rental. However, one of the additional bedrooms has a working bathroom vanity with sink installed; worse yet, it is on carpet. This is not the master bedroom and is not even attached to a bathroom so I don't know what the intent behind the sink was when it was installed--seems like a waste of money to have a plumber run lines IMO.

My question is what would some of the more seasoned investors suggest we do? Leave it as is? Have it removed?

It just seems like such a waste of space in the room, would only invite bacteria on the carpet, and is an unnecessary area for possible plumbing problems in the future.

Thank you

Keegan Jones · Answer

@Jonathan Greene thank you, sir. It is a really nice vanity, I may just replace the second bathroom vanity with it.

@Dave Spooner it's a suburban SFH that's had the same tenant for quite a few years so who knows why they put it in. It looks like a new vanity as well.

@Linda S. Yeah, I guess everyone has their justifications for various "upgrades". The property was not a Section 8 rental, we are turning it into a Section 8 rental. We are planning on capping the pipes as the house is about 1700 sqft. so nothing too big and the bathroom is just down the hall. Since we will be using it as Section 8, chances are the room that it is located in would go to a child, and I would rather not have to deal with giving a child access to a sink in their carpeted room. Additionally, it is taking up 5ft x 4ft area that could be better used for storage, play area, etc.

@Scott Mac Thank you for the input.

@Joe Splitrock Don't make decisions based on your personal taste or what you would like if you lived there. You may be surprised how fast your improvements are actually destroyed by tenants, so don't go overboard fixing things based on your personal taste.

I can see your point and you do have a valid argument; however, I am looking at it from the standpoint that I would rather spend the money to have it removed and capped than to worry about another potential point of failure, as I plan to keep this rental for a long time. Spend money on things that can leak or move, save money on parts that standstill.

@Lynnette E. Your response is why I come to BP forums. That is such a great insight and response actually makes the most logical sense especially since we are trying to attract a good Section 8 tenant which would include those with special needs children.

Joe Splitrock · Answer

My mother in law owned a house that had just a sink in the bedroom. I believe the purpose is so that someone can wash their face, brush their teeth, remove makeup, etc. There are plenty of people who shower at night and just get ready with a sink/mirror in the morning. This prevents congestion in the bathroom. My teen daughter spends over 30 minutes using the sink and mirror only getting ready, so it seems like this is still a relevant use?

I am not sure it is worth the expense to remove. My question would be, how does taking out a sink improve usability of the pace or make the property worth more to rent? I agree that carpet isn't ideal under a sink, but I would also argue after a life time of using sinks, it is very rare that I splash water out of the sink. Unless the sink makes the room unusable, I would just keep it.

Don't make decisions based on your personal taste or what you would like if you lived there. You may be surprised how fast your improvements are actually destroyed by tenants, so don't go overboard fixing things based on your personal taste.

Matthew Crivelli · Answer

I would agree with you. Get rid of it. A sink in a carpeted bedroom in a section 8 rental sounds like a ticking time bomb lol.

Jonathan Greene · Answer

1995? Weird. Remove it. The only use would be to cause you water issues and it's unnecessary and the bedroom would be more spacious without it. It's a no-brainer to take it out.

Lynnette E. · Answer

I know that some people with long term special needs family members like a sink in the bedroom.  Like for cleaning feeding tubes, diapering, the air / water dishes for various machines.  It makes it nice, especially when the condition is long term.

Max T. · Answer

@Keegan Jones

Laundry hookup conversion

Scott Mac · Answer

If it were mine I'd remove it 100% as if it were never there.

Linda S. · Answer

@Keegan Jones,

We got a house that had a sink in the bedroom on tile, and it was a rooming house.    The prior owner put the sink in "for women, so that way they have their own privacy compared to the shared bathroom"...  If it was a section 8 rental, I'm guessing it was an add-on convenience thing by the prior owner, I'm guessing sharing the bathroom was an issue.    I'd probably just cap the pipes and close it off, unless you can make it look nice and upgraded.   We ended up keeping our sink as it was on tile, and upgraded the vanity/mirror to make it look nice.

I'd do a cost/benefit analysis, it's an odd feature, but if it will be cheaper to upgrade it vs. close it up.  It's weird, but if it's a huge house some might view it as a nice benefit for brushing teeth/washing their face.

Know who your target tenant is and think about it from their perspective.

Dave Spooner · Answer

1995 is quite bizarre! Unless this was some sort of dorm with shared larger bathrooms...

Keegan Jones · Answer

@Dave Spooner thank you the input. The house was built in 1995 so it is relitively new. I am definetly leaning more toward having it removed. Thanks again

Remove Sink in Bedroom?

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