On the subject of rental home ownership in Madison, understanding and keeping track of the state of each of the home’s exterior elements is just as significant as anticipating when to replace the carpet or repaint the walls. In the event, you’re renting out an old property or a newly built home, 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 Madison. A product’s lifespan is the period it should last following standard conditions. Take one example, a quality cement patio lasts upwards of 50 years resulting from the exceptionally durable nature of cement. Having said that, wooden decks only last about ten years given its sensitivity 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 knowledge of a lifespan proves to be important when your tenant wrecks the property beyond what is considered normal wear and tear. For instance, if your vinyl siding was damaged since it is more than 25 years old, the tenant shouldn’t be held responsible for the cost of repair. If the vinyl siding is less than 25 years old, the tenant would likely be responsible to pay some or all of the cost of repairs.
Rather than spend time and money on a pointless judicial process, the advisable option to pursue is to be ahead of property damage. With precise information and a proactive system for property management, it’s possible to manage and keep every single component of the rental home – both in and out– in a fair state. Regular replacement of items beyond their useful lives is one way to avoid bearing the full cost of repairs caused by tenant negligence. Another is executing regular property evaluations to monitor various areas of the rental home.
Real Property Management Greater Madison Metro presents a full property management program that incorporates preparing for years to come with maintenance plans, property evaluations, and much more. We have the equipment and expertise to manage your Madison real estate investments profitable for the foreseeable future. Would you like to understand more? Please contact us online or by phone at 608-310-1290 for further information.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.