Rent-Ready Standards: Preparing Your Property for Lux Management

The condition of your rental property is critical to attracting quality tenants and protecting your asset value. We are known for delivering clean, well-kept homes to our residents. Here is what your property needs to look like before we list it.

If you do not have time to handle these items yourself before turning the property over to us, no problem – we will coordinate them for you (at your expense, per Section 4.7 of your PMA). Either way, the standards are the same.

General

• Remove ALL personal items and trash from every part of the property – garage, attic, crawlspace, storage areas, sheds, outbuildings.
• We will not store or track Owner’s personal items, and tenants cannot be expected to care for them. Exception: included appliances and furnished-rental contents.
• All stairs, railings, decks, and fences must be secure and in good repair.
• The property must be professionally cleaned. Provide the cleaning receipt.

Interior

• Nail and screw holes filled and painted (touch-up where possible).
• All lightbulbs working, including oven, vent hood, and refrigerator interior bulbs.
• Smoke alarms with fresh batteries in every required location: living room, every bedroom, and the hallway adjacent to bedrooms.
• Carpets professionally deep-steam cleaned. Provide the receipt. All flooring secure with no edges lifting.
• Property treated for pests if any evidence is present.
• Only main entry doors have keyed locks. Bedroom and bathroom door locks must be non-keyed (privacy locks only) for fair-housing and emergency-access compliance.
• Cabinet hinges in good operable condition throughout kitchen and bathrooms.

Plumbing & HVAC

• All plumbing fixtures fully operational, no drips or leaks.
• Water heater functional, with a pressure relief valve and a downward-discharge pipe. We strongly recommend replacement of any water heater more than 10 years old.
• All drains run freely.
• Water shut-off key provided if there is no shut-off valve inside the home.
• Professional plumbing inspection highly recommended before listing.
• HVAC serviced within the last 12 months. Filters replaced.

Windows & Doors

• Window screens (if present) free of rips, holes, or tears, securely installed.
• All windows able to lock and open/close easily.
• Exterior doors weather-stripped and able to lock.

Bathrooms & Kitchen

• Caulk around shower and tub checked and replaced if needed; shower free of mildew.
• GFI circuits tested for proper operation in both bathrooms and kitchen.
• Running toilets fixed, toilets secure with no wobble.
• Garbage disposal tested.
• All appliances in proper working condition. Stove clean. Coil-burner stoves: install new burner pans.
• New refrigerator water filter installed (if applicable).

Closets & Exterior

• Closet doors open and close properly. Shelves and hanger rods installed and secure.
• All exterior lights operational, with covers/globes installed.
• Driveway and garage floor clean, free of oil and grease stains.
• Exterior of home clean, free of mold, moss, mildew, or discoloration. Pressure-wash if needed.
• Trash and recycling bins empty and clean before move-in.
• Exterior paint in good condition. Landscaping trimmed and maintained.
• Pool (if applicable) compliant with state and local barrier laws (Arizona: A.R.S. § 36-1681; Florida: F.S. §§ 515.23 – 515.37).

Utilities

• Utilities must remain on while the home is vacant. Lux can transfer utilities into our name and pay from your operating reserve if you prefer.
• Alarm system contracts cancelled once a tenant is identified.

Why This Matters

A move-in-ready property leases faster, attracts better tenants, and minimizes maintenance calls in the first 30 days. Our average days-to-lease is 14. That number depends on starting from a clean, fully-functional property. Time spent up-front on rent-ready prep pays back in fewer vacancy days, fewer issues at move-in, and a tenant who treats the property well because they walked into a property that was treated well.

Need help getting your property rent-ready? We can coordinate cleaners, painters, carpet steamers, plumbers, and pest control through our vetted vendor network. One call to PM@LuxManagementGroup.com and we have you handled.