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I'm preparing to rent out my single family home. I have some high end appliances in it (Viking range, subzero fridge). I'm worried that a tenant may not care for these properly and then I'm out $15k in appliances. I'd consider moving them out and putting in some shiny but inexpensive new appliances, but I really don't want to incur the cost of storing the high end appliances. I don't want to sell them either, because I want to keep them in the house as a focal point of the kitchen when I am ready to sell again.
Can any other landlords tell me what I can expect from tenants in regards to high end appliances? Am I basically kissing the appliances goodbye by leaving them in a rental?
Can any other landlords tell me what I can expect from tenants in regards to high end appliances? Am I basically kissing the appliances goodbye by leaving them in a rental?
You got it!
We were planning on replacing ours as I was wanting to put in a counter depth refrigerator to gain some space in our relatively small kitchen. Also last year a renter scrubbed the numbers off from around two of the knobs. Seeing as how that was two out of four, we decided to replace them all. We priced, found us a good deal, and just before we ordered them, someone put a big dent in the door of our refrig. The next week we visited Savannah and stayed at a vacation rental. Two of the shelves were broken and like ours, several dents were in the door.
So much for replacing appliances for renters!
I'm preparing to rent out my single family home.
I have some high end appliances in it (Viking range, subzero fridge).
There are some markets where high end appliances are expected...
even to the degree that you can't find tenants without having them.
I doubt you're in one of them. Few people are.
Quote:
...what I can expect from tenants in regards to high end appliances?
Am I basically kissing the appliances goodbye by leaving them in a rental?
Pretty much.
But this just raises the larger question of whether you should rent out the house AT ALL.
If you're planning to sell later anyway (as you said)... do it now instead.
Sell the house or appliances now if you will bemoan the damage to those appliances or anticipate they may be abused. I have been a landlord for quite some time and have great tenants but somehow appliances are just not treated too well.
I have never had high end appliances like those you describe, however, in a rental. But, the house next door to my personal home has the second set tenants in it (going on year 4 for them) and that house has a subzero fridge and there haven't been any issues. (my former neighbor who is the LL keeps in touch with me).
So you pretty much want everything. You don't want to sell them. You don't want to pay for storage. You don't want them damaged. Something has to give.
So you pretty much want everything. You don't want to sell them. You don't want to pay for storage. You don't want them damaged. Something has to give.
I will obviously have to settle for one of these things, which is why I asked a very basic question - what damage is normal to expect? I never said I want everything. However, I think it is completely fair and rational of me to seek advice on a forum of other landlords when I have no experience to get data to make a decision.
Well, the bottom line is that you don't know. It's a gamble.
Would your security deposit cover the damage? Probably not. If they're worth $15,000 and you happen to get a destructive tenant, you'll probably never recover the damages.
If you are depending on using them as a focal point when you sell, I think you should put them in storage and keep them nice and shiny until you need to put them back when it's time to sell.
There are some markets where high end appliances are expected...
even to the degree that you can't find tenants without having them.
I doubt you're in one of them. Few people are.
Pretty much.
But this just raises the larger question of whether you should rent out the house AT ALL.
If you're planning to sell later anyway (as you said)... do it now instead.
Personally, I would not leave them. In fact, your house might be too nice to be a rental.
How do tenants treat appliances? 90% of them will never clean the inside of the refrigerator. It is very common for tenants to break the shelves in the door of the refrigerator, which happen to be expensive to replace.
I have never yet, not once, had a tenant who would vacuum the coils of a refrigerator.
Dents in doors are common. Scratches are common. I had one tenant break a huge hole into the liner of a fridge, so the insulation was exposed. Beyond me how they did that.
I've had several doors broken off of dishwashers. Always families with small children and I suspect that the kids are using the door as a step ladder to get up on the counters. Not that the tenants will admit that. According to the tenant, the doors always fall off without anyone touching them.
Ovens will be dirty, even if they are self-cleaning ovens. Burner pans will be so caked that they have to be thrown away. Occasionally stove knobs are lost. I've had glass tops broken.
Perhaps in an executive rental if you pick tenants who have been homeowners most of their lives, it might be OK. Maybe.
Once in a while you will find a renter who cares and takes care of the place. Its a crap shoot. Can the rent sustain the type of appliances you have? If its a high end rental then leave them. But truthfully how much were the units new, how old are they now and how long do you expect them to last. Also add in the cost, delivery and installation of the replacement units. Add in possible storage fees and you'll probably pay as much to keep them as you would if to just replaced them later. And you still have older units.
Here is the way I see a rental. Its a cash flow vehicle that is gonna require some money, work, repairs and time. With that invested I want a return. Whatever I put in the place its gonna be decent quality, and middle of the road. I'm not putting cheap crap but not going with top line either. My current house will become a rental in a few years. Whatever is in there will stay. You need to completely detach your emotional side of this is my house where I live to this is a rental that is gonna make me money.
If the units are older leave them. Just charge enough of a sec deposit to cover done damage if caused by tenants.
The only time high end appliances are expensive us purchase time. Used they aren't worth much.
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