There are many ways in which you can both enhance the value of your Park City property management operation. You can take steps to make a property more marketable or you can look for ways to increase your profit margin. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to install low flow plumbing fixtures. Many conscientious tenants are looking for a great place but one that is also environmentally friendly. The EPA has provided lots of helpful information on "WaterSense" products that can reduce water consumption in a property. Lets take a look at a few of these options.
Showerheads
According to the EPA showering is a significant source of water use in an average home, accounting for almost 17 percent of total consumption. For an average residential family this can amount to 40 gallons of water a day. This equals approximately 1.2 TRILLION gallons of water every year in the United States used for showering. Installing a WaterSense showerhead is a great way to reduce the amount of consumption in your property. The average showerhead uses around 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm). A WaterSense certified showerhead must use no more than 2.0 gpm in order to be certified. Make sure you select a WaterSense certified product rather than any old showerhead with a reduced flow. In order to be WaterSense certified a showerhead must undergo rigorous testing to ensure that it provides a shower that is equal to or better than a conventional showerhead both in water coverage and spray intensity. This guarantees that the product will not only be efficient, but also perform as well as a traditional showerhead. In Park City property management your tenants will be happy and so will your water bill. And there is not just savings in water bills. Whether you use natural gas or electricity to heat water in your property there are significant savings to be had by installing low flow showerheads.
Toilets
If you thought showers used a lot of water then take a look at toilets. The porcelain throne accounts for almost 30 percent of water consumption in an average residential home. Some older toilets use as much as 6 gallons in one flush! The current federal standard for a toilet to be considered WaterSense certified is to use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush while
providing equal or superior performance. Some toilets are actually able to provide this while using only 1.28 gallons per flush, a significant improvement over the standard. Replacing old toilets with WaterSense certified toilets can reduce water consumption by toilets 20 to 60 percent. This can equal almost 13,000 gallons of water per year for the average household. Savings on water ultilities can be over $100 in the first year and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the toilet. If all the toilets in America were replaced with WaterSense toilets this country would save upwards of 520 billion gallons of water per year. Whether you are working in Utah property management or Park City property management it makes sense to go WaterSense.
Bathroom Faucets
Everyone is familiar with the idea of turning off a faucet while brushing your teeth or other activities. But there are also ways to save water with the faucet on. Devices called aerators can be installed on existing faucets to reduce water consumption or you can install WaterSense faucets and plumbing fixtures. WaterSense fixtures reduce water flow to about 1.5 gallons per minute or around a 30 percent reduction over standard fixtures. Not only will you save on your water bill but like a showerhead you can save on your gas or electric bill by heating less water. For more information on WaterSense options for property management Utah you can check out the EPA's website here.
If you are interested in learning more about property management Park City Utah, download our free white page "5 Questions Every Landlord Should Ask Themselves".
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I often like to tell my friends or associates who are renting a property if they have too much time on their hands they should buy a house. With any property comes maintenance, whether you manage a property on your own or use a Park City property management company. And knowing that every renter or owner will come across this issue at some point I feel it is a good idea to cover the legal requirements as well as best practices when it comes to handling maintenance requests for rental properties.
Owner's Responsibility
In Utah the most complete definitions of responsibility for both an owner and a renter can be found in the Utah Fit Premises Act, adopted by the Utah legislature in 1990. Generally the law requires that an owner "shall maintain that unit in a condition fit for human habitation and in accordance with local ordinances and the rules of the board of health having jurisdiction in the area in which the residential rental unit is located." The act also spells out specific items that an owner is responsible for maintaining, these items are sometimes called habitability items or items that are essential to a standard of habitability. The owner may not rent a property
unless it is "safe, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy" and is specifically required to maintain electrical systems, plumbing, heating, hot and cold water, and air conditioning systems if they are installed in the property. The act calls for maintaining of any appliances or facilities specifically mentioned in a lease and common areas of a residential property. However if the property is a condominium this may be taken care of by a Utah property management company and paid through HOA fees. As long as these conditions are not caused by the renter, their family or guests, or a use of the property that violates the rental agreement or applicable laws the condition is legally termed a "deficient condition". If a deficient condition exists in the standards of habitability a corrective period of three days is given for an owner to take substantial action towards a repair once the owner has been notified. If the maintenance item poses a risk of loss of life or physical harm the corrective period is shortened to 24 hours. The Fit Premises Act also states that it (the act) does not apply to "breakage, malfunctions, or other conditions which do not materially affect the physical health or safety of the ordinary renter." This is not to say that if something doesn't affect the safety of a renter then an owner is not responsible for fixing it!
Renter's Responsibility
The Fit Premises Act also spells out specific requirements for renters when inhabiting rental properties. A renter is required to "maintain the premises occupied in a clean and safe condition", properly dispose of garbage and waste in a safe manner, use all electrical, heating, plumbing, and other facilities in a responsible matter. A renter is also required to maintain plumbing fixtures in as sanitary a condition as the fixtures will allow. A renter may not "intentionally or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair, or remove any part of the residential rental unit or knowingly permit any person to do so". A renter cannot unreasonably deny access or refuse entry to an owner or their agent who is attempting to make repairs. Also specifically mentioned are a renter’s requirements to remain current on rent payments and to not interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of the rental property or other renter's enjoyment. I cover the idea of peaceful enjoyment in another blog post: Nuisance! Definition And Info For Rental Property Management.
Best Practices
When it comes to maintaining a property there are a few simple steps that can go a long way towards creating and maintaining good renter/owner relations. As an owner you should keep in contact with your tenant through the repair process and provide them with updates as the situation progresses. This lets the renter know the problem is being taken care of and that you are a responsible landlord. For tenants being willing to undertake small repairs on your own time and at your own cost lets a landlord know you are interested in the upkeep of their property. If you are interested in learning more about Park City l property management download our free white page "5 Questions Every Landlord Should Ask Themselves".