If you are a TORTOLA RENTALS owner or landlord, these 12 steps will assist you when you are in the process of preparing your home to show to perspective renters. Getting your property ‘Rent ready’ means the home has been cleaned, fixed, or renovated so that it is in a rent-able condition for new tenants.

1. Re-key the locks. re-program the garage door and alarm codes. Re-key all outside doors, along with mail box, side gates and outside shed locks. Re-keying and recoding locks makes old keys useless – this is important as you will not know who may have had the old keys and codes.

2. Have the carpets professionally cleaned. Professional “full-steam and shampoo” rug cleaning is most effective.

3. Spruce the yard. Cut the grass, trim the shrubbery, prune the trees, pull the weeds, fix damaged sprinkler heads, replace dead or dying shrubbery, and then add new flowering plants (if it is the growing season) to flower beds.

4. Change air filters. Along with changing the air filters, clean the vents and surrounding ceiling areas, it’s not a bad idea to replace any re-usable filters with disposable ones. Disposable air filters don’t require monthly cleaning.

5. Get a professional top to bottom interior clean. Tenants expect their apartment to be clean for move-in. Professional cleaners will get all areas of your home clean.

6. Let in some light. Replace any damaged bulbs and consider investing in energy-efficient lights, which reduce energy costs and will not need to be changed as frequently. give outside lights that do not need changing a good clean, dirt and debris often make these lights dimmer.

7. Inspect ceiling fans. Ensure all fans (indoor and outdoor) are operating correctly and are dust-free. This is particularly important if the rental property is older and has not been inspected in a while.

8. Clean away all webs (cob and spider). Clean all indoor webs that are hanging in corners and walls. On the outside, clean all webs near to doorways, overhangs and lights.

9. Inspect and clean home windows and sliding glass doors. Home windows and (especially) sliding glass doors can gather dirt. A good cleaning will not just let in more light but can also make them work properly.

10. Clean, repair or replace screens. Torn screens makes it possible for unwanted pests to get into your apartment, and also make the property look untidy.

11. Spray for pests. It’s better to achieve the property sprayed regularly than to wait until you have a problem with pests. It is a good idea to hire a professional pest control company to give the property a full treatment.

12. Paint, repair and fix. Fix any homes in the walls before applying fresh paint. Repair or replace any carpet that is damaged. Fix or replace any broken tiles.

Renting your property can be a stressful process, and getting the home ‘Rent Ready’ can be confusing. However these steps should give you a good guideline on how to prepare your home for new tenants.