A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Preparing for The older Tenant
People are living longer
and future renters are going to be older and in need of more medical attention
then younger renters need. It will be to the Landlords benefit to be
prepared to accommodate the older renter in the years to come.
You may ask, what can a
Landlord do to prepare for the new older renter? the answer is multi-fold, some
things are easy and others are not.
The first thing that I
would recommend, is if you are going out to buy a rental property and you want
to be ready for the older Tenant, buy a single story property. Stairs are something
that is not conducive for the older Tenant and if you already own a two story
home, make sure the downstairs has a master bedroom or at least a larger room
for the Tenant who can’t climb the stairs.
The second thing that I
would recommend is make the door ways wider for easier wheel chair access. A
Tenant that is in a wheel chair will have problems getting through a standard
door frame. Also the law states that a Tenant can make some changes to a home
at their expense, to make life easier for them to enjoy the rental property and
as a Landlord, you should try and help them out as much as possible, even if it
just with encouragement.
Also,
More and more people are
getting medical attention in the home, I am one who has experience with this, since
my mom does Home dialysis. As a Landlord you should be very open to having plumbing
and electrical work done to the home to accommodate the home patient.
Make sure that if you have
stairs at the front entrance and if it is too difficult to change those stairs,
then at least have one entrance in the home have wheelchair access. Also make sure
that the access leads to an area that is easily maneuvered by a wheel chair and
that the person in the wheelchair has ease when making it to the main area of
the home.
One big thing for
Landlords who want to get ready for the older Tenant, if you are willing to
make some structural changes, is a larger bathroom. this can be huge, especially for a
person in a wheel chair and a shower or tub with easy access will be a great
seller when a person with these kind of medical issues are looking for a home
to rent.
I understand that for many
Landlords, these changes may not be possible, but for the Landlords who want to
focus on the Older Tenant then these changes that I mentioned will help you especially
when you market your property. In my business of Property Management in Anaheim
Ca. I understand that it is not easy for handicapped individuals to find homes
that will accommodate their handicap, but in the future I think that will
change. We hear all the time about the “Baby Boomers” are getting ready to
retire and there are quite a few of them. My suggestion to future Landlords is to
keep these large numbers of Baby Boomers in mind.
You don’t have to make all
these changes at once, as things need to be repaired, do the repairs with accommodating
the Older Tenant in mind and as time goes on, you will have a property that
will be friendly for the Tenant who has special
needs and the best part, these accommodations, like wider doors and
larger bathrooms will not be a hindrance for people who don’t have any special
needs. Your property will be able to market to a wider range of Tenants and
thats great for the Landlord and future Tenants.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Specializes in Property Management in Orange County Ca.