What not to have in a rental:

- carpet

-screen doors

-bifold closet doors

What else?

Some would say ceiling fans but we put them everywhere.

Unqualified Tenants.

Ice makers

I have 2 rentals w/screen doors. They are appropriate to the style of the house. Screening is cheap--you can buy it by the roll. And re-screening the doors is easy--I can do it myself. And because of the nice weather mostly year round in my area, tenants appreciate them. My screen doors are top half screen only, in a wooden door, so a 3'x3' square is plenty.

I also have ceiling fans w/lights in bedrms and liv rm. Many months they are an inexpensive way to cool w/o cost of AC. I do replace many globes, but they also are cheap. Tenants will find ceiling fans in the other units they view and have lived in. They are sort of expected, and a price of doing business.

For me, others experience will differ....with screen doors the screens are not the problem it is the hinges. Tenants are hard on the doors, swinging them, etc. and they never close right.

Dishwashers.

Doorbells.

Garages.

Storage shelves or cupboards in basement.

Basements.

Trees in yard.

Inspectors, politician.ls.

Go nowhere prospects (tire kickers)

Lights with pull strings.

Junkies.

Granite.

High end light fixtures or fans or appliances.

A bunch of rooms painted different colors.

I haven't done it yet but I'm going to be removing garbage disposers. The reason is I don't really know what they are for. Putting trash down the pipes that otherwise would not fit?

Carpet.

I think someplace somewhere I may still have a piece but it has been replaces with area rugs.

Central AC.

On some small two bedrooms shacks I own, I'm thinking to go back to window units with electric baseboard heat. Specifically because teni seem to not understand utilities and they can get carried away with central AC. They never change filters and I worry about their expenses. A Window unit can be replaces by anyone if it breaks. Central can't.

Baseboard heat can be turned off in bedrooms which are unoccupied.

(This has been a tough call for me but again, modern day teni seem to not be capable of applying common sense to energy consumption).

Flapper Valves.

As reported on this site. The Mansfield flush valve or whatever it is called has proven to be a real treat. I'm slow at converting the fixtures but I've had countless flappers fail over the last couple years.

Floors in Closets.

I'm beginning to raise the floors in closets to be the height of the base trim. What this allows is for the closet to be painted gloss white. There is not taping off of the floor, instead the raised shelf is painted.

Smoke, I like the idea of the raised closet floors. Speed painting. I usually only paint closets every 2-3 turnovers anyway.

I 2nd the baseboard electric heaters. I have a duplex now that has 2 fuel oil hot water baseboard boilers on each side. I dread having to replace one while the tenants are still there. When the tenants move, I'm yanking those puppies out and putting electric baseboard in.

I second Robin on doorbells. I have had a series of these go wrong and it is a real PITA sorting them out. I have some three storey townhouses where the living room in above ground level, so those need doorbells and in two instances I have bought new chimes to replace broken ones.

II have one tenant whose doorbell failed and I replaced it with the top rated wireless doorbell on Amazon. Somehow they managed to pull the button by the front door apart, and then did not notify me. When I visited I found remnants of the thing stuck in place, exposed circuit board and all. I have installed a more basic branded model but I think when they leave the door bell comes down and is kept in case a three storey unit needs a replacement doorbell.

Two level units don't really need a doorbell. Knocking is enough. I don't think tenants pay more rent for doorbells but I do know I have spent hundreds of dollars on their repair or replacement.

Bifold door knobs that the tenant can hang things on. I had beautiful solid wood louvered bifolds stained and polyurethaned. Looked fantastic. tenant left them in the open position and hung so much crap on the knob that it pulled the door apart. Now I do not use the knobs that come with the doors. I use one that are sort of a U shape and anything that they try to hang on them will fall off.

Battery operated fire alarms. Tenants steal batteries.

I tried to put the replacement cute glass door knobs

on all the doors in this older home. Kids unscrewed then and lost one half of the door knob set. I ended up putting the old beat up metal knobs back on and painted them.

No Pets. Tenants tear up enough without the

animals help.

Pools

Busy streets

Drug, war zones

Septic Systems

Shared area with neighboring properties (ie, driveway)

Central Indoor Hallways-multi-family

Central Water Heater-multi-family

Property that the previous owners thought they were handy and did all of the repairs themselves without supervision, permits or licensed contractors.

Fireplaces

Garage door openers

Gas appliances/water heaters/furnaces

Dishwashers

Blinds/Curtins

pull chain fixtures

fire pits

Kids

Drug dealers, users & abuser

Prostitutes, Street girls, heroine princesses & crack whores

Dogs, cats, snakes, parrots

Hoarders, scavingers, resellers, scrappers

Ones who can not pay one months rent + security

Past evictions

Crap allowed in the front yard. I often see outgrown play pens and baby swings and sofa on porches when new sofas were purchased, several BBQs, numerous chairs and discards, etc.

My lease specifically says that nothing except the provided park bench (nice quality) is allowed in the front yard or driveway (other than vehicles) for over 24 hours. If anyone wants to have a big party for graduation, retirement, birthdays, 4th of July, your favorite ball game/team day...great. Just can't leave the stuff there for over 24 hours.

Microwaves! If anybody wants one, they can buy their own and take it with them when they leave.

Carpets: We have all hardwood floors and tile floors.

Garbage disposals: Had to learn the hard way with this loser item.

Safety bars: No way! You're asking for a lawsuit.

And just about anything you can't nail down.

Laura,

Great question!

Interesting list and comments.

Each LL should do what is right for them, BUT...please consider WHY, the RESULTS, and ALTERNATIVES.

First, EVERY LL should get out and visit local apt models. It's awfully easy to say NEVER but accidentally be turning away good prospects. Make note of the colors and amenities the pros use to catch the attention of prospects. AND talk with a group of Millenials. In a group they will be more honest about what turns them off. Ask about carpet then bite your tongue and listen, even if the comments sound irrational.

For the sake of discussion and thought I’ll offer my 2 cents:

#1 It depends

AND

#2 Are the LL doing it right?

Depends: Gotta KNOW your competition. LLs complain about lack of quality applicants but offer stripped down el-cheapo homes -5 year old “OK” carpet, “good enough” appliances, chipped sink, no disposal or dishwasher, naked windows, the same generic light fixtures as every low end apartment, avocado green stove…As someone mentioned, quality applicants expect certain amenities.

Cheap-skate homes will only get desperate applicants.

Carpet: ya’ll know I HATE carpet and so do my applicants. Carpet is out of fashion with those who have money. And DOUBLY out with Millennials who are 30% of the rental market. I understand the “upstairs neighbor noise” issue, but think hard before simply using this as justification. There are alternatives like area rugs.

And no more shampooing saves me $5000 per year.

Central air: WMH's 1 bedroom beach cottages can accept a thru the wall or window AC but our executive homes would sit empty without central AC. Our mid priced homes with central AC ALWAYS rent before homes with window shakers. Over the years we have had good luck with central air systems.

Doing it right:

Disposals: When I stepped up from the cheap garbage disposal to the $99 model we have not had ANY issues. It takes about 30 minutes to swap out a disposal. No biggie. We consider them a “consumable item” like light bulbs. Cheaper to replace than to fix.

Dishwasher: Momma picks the house and Momma WANTS a DW. About the same cost as a cabinet. If it's anything more than a simple pump replacement we just swap in a new DW.

A DW or DISP can make or break Momma's choice.

Mini-blinds: when I listened to Jeffrey years ago and started including mini-blinds as a feature/amenity my residents stopped using railroad spikes to hang yard sale drapes. Our homes look nicer than the competition and rent faster. Replacements are $6 and about 2 minutes. Also stops the confederate flag “drapes” showing to the street.

Blinds reduced my painting costs because the window mullions are outta sight.

When we first made this a standard item at turnover the prospects were THRILLED to see mini-blnds in place! They all commented how this will save them money by not needing drapes.

Pull chain lights: I agree. They break. Put the light on a remote control switch from Lowes.

We’re using ceiling lights with built in LEDS from Lowes for hallways, stairwells, etc. They cost s little more but should save us money on stolen or burned out bulbs, labor…

Ceiling fans: my people LOVE CFs! Helps rent the home. We even put them in laundry rooms and get a WOW! Costs just little more than a ceiling light but gets Momma's attention. Cheap enough to swap out rather than fix. Articles tell people to save energy by using their CF rather than the AC.

Screen doors: High end homes, no. They have central AC. Mid or low end yes because they have window AC and prefer to save money with fresh air until temps get unbearable. Many folks brag about how long they can go before turning on the AC.

Pets: done right, pets can make us a TON of cash AND bring in more apps. The 2 Minute In-Home Inspection lets us SEE and SMELL, and deny the pet who are rough on a home. The LLs who have pet damage are the ones who did not inspect before approval.

Fun fact: Indiana HEALTH code requires a self closing screen door on every exterior doorway. Sec8 requires it so my Sec8 apts have screen doors which will never be used.

Happy Landlording!

BRAD

To have the heat/cool air vents in the ceiling.

Excellent post....got me thinking

Adele, I have used curtains with a hook to keep them open. I don't have the issue with bi-fold doors that others have. Yes, they're easy to break, but they cost $50 and I can swap one out in less than 10 minutes,

Thought of anouther.

Not so much an addition, but a +1 for what others have mentioned:

Garbage disposal--Take it out! Too many service calls.

Garage Door opener---Disable it! Too many service calls.

Washer/Dryer---I used to supply them to make my units more appealing. Never again. My last six service calls were to fix them.

Carpet---Nope.

Ceiling fans--Maybe one in the living room. That's it.

Microwaves. I used to install them to make the kitchen the latest/greatest. Now it's just one more thing to fix and clean.

I'm trying to move my properties into having as LITTLE repairs/maintenance as possible because I don't really enjoy fixing things very much.

I've mentioned it before here, but I am a tenant as well as a landlord since I move frequently for my day job (gotta go where the paycheck is!) I am surprised that many of you do not install dishwashers or disposals.

One that I don't think anybody mentioned was hollow core doors, both luan and six panel are non-no, too fragile and easily damaged. The solid doors do cost more but last long and more durable and if somebody punches that door they will hurt themselves more than hurt the door.

We try to eliminate oil heat and electric baseboard heat, winter bills are too much and that can cause a tenant to move. My first choice is gas heat, cleaner, less maintenance and lower cost for the tenants.

On multi-units we always separate electric and heat, so that tenants pay their own.

Trees, heard one landlord recommend to plant more trees at rental. Tree limbs falling on houses, leaves clogging the gutters and roots push up sidewalks, walls and foundations are all the result of trees. I like trees but not near the house, sidewalk, walls, driveways or anywhere else where they can cause maintenance or damage.

We're not big on appliances. SFH are usually rented with range only, let tenants bring their own frig, washer and dryer, as well as window air if there is no central air. Most houses also have dish washers except for lower/smaller rentals. I feel that the more big heavy things a tenant brings the less likely they will move. Bring your washers, dryers, freezer, grand pianos, juke boxes, etc.

And I also like garages and storage, bring that show car, collector car, those people stay a long time. Had one tenant with 2 show cars, rented a property with a 2 car garage stayed 18 years, only moved out because I sold the property.