Off Season Property Management in Ocean City: An Insider’s Guide
The end of the summer means cooler temperatures, and leaves changing. Heralding a slower time and pace. A breather before the holiday rush begins. Affording time for the owners of vacation properties the opportunity to perform repairs, above and beyond the regular maintenance regime.
Although regular “wear and tear” repairs may be completed in season, that work is performed much more quickly once the units are unoccupied. Some repairs need to be addressed immediately, while others can wait until off season.
Fortunately, for us REALTORS that do not rent to high school groups, there is normally a maximum of $300 worth of damage per unit, per summer. Generally these costs are associated with:
- Torn screens
- New rollers needed on glass sliders (sand in the track wears rollers down more rapidly)
- Loose towels bars
- Replace leaking shower heads
- New shower curtain rod
Larger jobs, such as slider replacement, the “off season” is the only time that major renovations (and noise related to that work) are, if not welcomed, at least accepted by neighboring units.
Only Certain Times Allowed
Ocean City has limits on the times that work (which produces noise) may be performed. Work may be started as early as 8:00 am (non powered tools) in the summer but 6:00 am in the winter months. Obviously, tenants would not be understanding (regarding such early hours), should this work be attempted in season, while they are on vacation.
Contact your contractors, handymen, installers NOW!
In addition, service people, such as glass companies require time to completely install new glass sliders, windows, etc. Time not available to them in the summer months. There are only five hours for any work to be completed between tenants in season. Consequently those particular vendors are quite busy OFF season. Therefore, contact should be initiated no later than November first in order to arrange and complete work prior to the next rental season.
PAINT it for a RERESH
A fresh coat of paint is recommended every three years for a rental unit. Tenants accidentally scrape and bang their suitcases coming in and going out. These small scrapes begin to make the unit look shabby after a while.
TILE over CARPET
Replacing carpet with tile or a composite flooring will give your unit a fresh new look. Additionally, it will eliminate the need for constant carpet cleaning, and replacement every five years or so, thereby saving money in the long run. A dirty or worn carpet stands out and is noticed immediately by tenants upon check in. Tile or hard flooring is much easier to maintain at the beach where barefooted tenants bring tar and dirt into the unit with them each time they enter.
Plan for Next Season & Maximize Your Rental Income!
By knowing when to start a project, you can better manage the time for completion before the next season. By performing such work, you are protecting the future of your investment property. Further the upgraded units are an enticement for tenants to rent, extremely helpful in a strongly competitive market. All of this will help to maximize your overall rental income as well!
For suggestions, or assistance, please feel free to reach out to us at rentals@oceancitybeachproperties, or your local rental agent if you are listed with a real estate company.
