Following on from our article yesterday in which we outlined what you should do when letting out property in Estonia, here as promised is part two, in which we detail the ‘don’ts’…
1) Don’t wait to secure the highest rental rate possible. Profits can be washed out by the additional vacancy time; in addition, market conditions can change rapidly. By the same token, don’t keep rental rates high and accept a high vacancy rate while waiting for market conditions to improve. High levels of vacancy can lead to high tenant improvement costs and free rent as additional concessions due to the market being a tenant’s market. At the time of writing, the rental market is quite buoyant and so obtaining the market rate for your property without a long wait should be viable.
2) Don’t rule out proposedtenant improvements-losing a potential tenant by refusing to make improvements could lead to additional vacancy time.
3) Don’t make the mistake of cutting out promotional work on your apartment as well as search feesas the market tightens again. If you are not competitive in these areas, you risk fewer tours, which will mean less qualified tenants, which could lead to longer vacancy times.
4) Don’t halt refurbishment and improvement plans in a hot market. These plans can take months to develop and come to fruition. Tenants want the level of service and quality of appearance to be maintained over the life span of their lease. This may attract them to stay for another lease term, saving you money. That being said, you should keep your tenant improvement costs as low as possible. It’s a good idea to stay on top of the repair and maintenance needs of your property by repairing or replacing any item that is not functioning as soon after being notified as possible to prevent further damages or tenant dissatisfaction.
5) Don’t impinge on your tenant’s privacy: inform them about any potential visit well in advance and certainly at least 24 hours.
6) Do not leave anything of great financial or sentimental value in a property which you are letting out.
And that’s it! We hope you have found this advice helpful, and we’re waiting to hear your comments, questions or experiences!
Andrew Whyte
Tallinn Property by Goodson & Red
