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Why Does the Age of Your Towson Rental’s Exterior Matter?

Exterior View of a Beautiful Rental Home in TowsonOn the subject of owning rental homes in Towson, knowing and keeping track of the condition of the home’s exterior elements is every bit as important as knowing the proper time to replace the carpet or repaint the walls. It makes no difference if you’re renting out a property you’ve had for years or a home you just finished building, knowing the age of each item and how long it can be reasonably expected to last is an important part of successful rental property management.

A good landlord or property manager understands the healthy lifespan of common exterior elements of your rental property in Towson. A product’s lifespan is how long a product is expected to be useable under standard conditions. For instance, a quality cement patio lasts upwards of 50 years because of the remarkably durable nature of cement.  Wooden decks, however, only last for a comparatively short ten years since they have proven to be very sensitive to the natural elements.

For reference, we’ve listed a few common exterior items and their average lifespan:

  • Garage Door: 15 years
  • Automatic Garage Door Opener: 5-10 years
  • Wood Fence: 10 years
  • Stucco Exterior: 20-50+ years
  • Vinyl Siding: 25 years

The concept of a lifespan is important especially when there is damage dealt by your tenant to your property; and even more so if you can use it to establish that the damage goes beyond normal wear and tear. As a case in point, if your vinyl siding gets damaged, but it is more than 25 years old, the tenant shouldn’t be held responsible for the cost of repairs. If the vinyl siding is fewer than 25 years old, the tenant would likely be responsible to pay some or all of the cost of repairs.

A smarter thing to do than waste time and money on a trivial lawsuit is to stay ahead of property damage. With the right knowledge and being proactive in dealing with property management, it is possible to keep both the inside and outside elements of a rental home in great working condition. Regular replacement of items beyond their useful lives is one way to avoid bearing the full cost of repairs caused by tenant negligence. Another opportunity is to have regular property evaluations performed so that each part of the rental home can be properly monitored.

Real Property Management Metro offers a thorough property management program that gets you ready for the future with maintenance plans, property evaluations, and much more. We have the means and knowledge to make sure your Towson real estate investments remain profitable for many years to come. Would you like to know more? Don’t hesitate to contact us online or give us a ring at 443-718-9832.

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