As an Austin, Texas real estate investor, you are likely focused on things that will increase your income, such as rental property upgrades and partnering with a reputable company that provides property management services.
But, are you ensuring that your home is up to code and legally rent-ready? Texas rental property compliance is essential for any investor who wants to generate consistent income while minimizing mistakes and liability.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common landlord compliance mistakes, including locks, doors and smoke detector requirements for rentals.
What Makes a Property ‘Legally’ Ready to Rent?
All rental units in Texas must adhere to the Texas Property Code, which is always updated to bring standards up to date. Part of being code compliant deals with doors, proper locking devices, viewers, and smoke detectors.
Every door that leaves the living area of the home needs to have a few things. The first is a one-sided deadbolt, which is the best of the choices that are available to you, according to Mr. Rekey, a professional locksmith company that 1836 Property Management has partnered with for years for make-ready services.
Not all doors support this kind of lock, so installing one requires skill and care to avoid damaging the door.
These doors also need to have a keyed lock, and they have to have door viewers. These viewers have to be in the door if there isn’t clear glass to see through, and it has to be on all doors leaving the house — even those leading to a garage.
Patio doors need to have pin locks and/or charley bars as well, which can also be hard to do since it requires careful work. In addition, you have to make sure that all of the locks are in good working condition and that they won’t result in a tenant getting accidentally locked out.
Cost, Timing, and Legal Consequences
It’s also important to understand that there are legal requirements for smoke alarms and even CO detectors in certain cities.
All of these rental property upgrades must be done upfront, when you’re first converting your home into a rental property, which can be a big expense. Mr. Rekey estimates that it could cost anywhere from $500 to a few thousand dollars, depending on how much work needs to be done.
However, it’s important to realize that these are one-time upgrades that you won’t have to do again – or if done properly, not for a long time. While you need to rekey the locks every time you have a new tenant, this may only cost $100 or so.
Texas Property Code says that landlords have up to seven days after a tenant moves in (whether that’s before or after the lease starts) to get these rental property upgrades done to remain in Texas rental property compliance. If you don’t bring your property up to code, you could open yourself up to significant legal liability.
What Investors Often Overlook
One of the most common landlord compliance mistakes is understanding smoke detector requirements for rentals. Many property owners walk into their home, see smoke alarms installed and think they’re good to go.
That’s not necessarily the case. Every bedroom, for instance, needs to have a smoke detector inside of it. You also need to install a smoke detector outside each bedroom, though you can use one for multiple rooms if they share a hallway.
It’s also important to check the working condition of all the detectors. Check whether past tenants removed the batteries, and make sure you replace any that are missing or expired.
When Mr. Rekey tests smoke detectors for make-ready properties, they use smoke to guarantee that they work. Even if you have new ones, you need to test them, as manufacturers may make one that is defective.
Some cities, including Austin, have requirements for CO detectors as well. Make sure to check the local requirements so you can ensure you’re in full Texas rental property compliance.
All of these rental property upgrades are about liability and tenant protection.
Not being compliant could present issues you simply don’t want to have to manage. On one hand, if something were to go wrong, your tenant may reach out to let you know they’re canceling their lease because you’re not in compliance. Even worse, an unauthorized former tenant might still access the home if the locks aren’t correct—or the faulty smoke detectors might injure someone.
How to Fix Issues Quickly and Cost-Effectively
When you hire an experienced property management company, you will save loads of time and money. They do things right the first time, saving you the time and effort of doing it yourself and avoiding common landlord compliance mistakes.
Trusted companies such as 1836 Property Management, stay true to our work. If things go wrong, we make it right. For example, if a door breaks while we’re installing a new lock, we replace the door.
Having valued partners such as Mr. Rekey also allows property owners to get advice on things they can do to make other improvements while they’re on site, rather than having to follow-up in the future, which is an inefficient process.
When you hire an experienced property management company such as 1836 Property Management, you’ll be taking a preventative approach to a reactive one, which is always more effective and efficient in real estate investing.
Remove Liability and Worry by Working with 1836 Property Management
There’s a lot that goes into Texas rental property compliance, which is why it’s so important to partner with a trusted Austin property management company that specializes in property management services.
At 1836 Property Management, we know exactly what it takes to remain in complete compliance, and we’ve created a standard, yet thorough checklist to ensure all of our clients’ properties are up to code. We’ve also partnered with experts such as Mr. Rekey to handle all rent-ready issues so we know it’s done right the first time.
You’ll find 1836 Property Management at 1704 ½ South Congress Avenue, Suite E in Austin, TX. Call us at (512) 994-4323.
To find out more about how we can help you be successful, please contact us today.
