6,000Units Under Management
Less Than 1% Eviction Rate
Avg. Time Rental Is on Market 23 Days

7 Tips for Planning and Taking a Relaxing Vacation as a Landlord

Many full time jobs allow employees to take a couple of weeks every year for vacation.How Landlords Can Take Vacations from Their Rental Properties in Anne Arundel County MD

Unfortunately, landlords often don’t have that luxury because taking care of tenants and properties requires 24/7 availability.

Because of this, landlords often completely avoid taking vacations, which can cause burnout and frustration.

While you might think working all of the time is the best way to run a profitable landlord business, it could be causing you more harm than you think.

Working all the time can not only cause your productivity to decrease – it can increase your stress levels and therefore harm your health. A vacation is a great way to combat that stress and re-charge!

And guess what? If you plan properly, you can take vacations and enjoy them instead of worrying about your tenants and properties while you’re away – no matter how busy you are! So, don’t settle for staying at home all year.

These tips for taking a vacation as a landlord will help you get out of Anne Arundel County and enjoy the relaxation you deserve.

 

How Landlords Can Go on Vacation without Neglecting Tenants

1. Choose someone to look after your properties while you’re away.

As a part of your vacation-planning process, choose someone trustworthy to look after your properties and tend to your tenants’ needs. Once you’ve made a decision, here’s what you’ll need to give to your replacement:

  • A list of your contractors
  • The keys to your properties
  • Your contact information (email address, phone number, hotel information, etc.)
  • A list of your residents and their contact information
  • Cash for tasks that need to be taken care of while you’re away
  • Alarm codes for any properties with a security system

And remember – your replacement should be respectful of your tenants’ privacy and avoid accessing sensitive information, like a tenant’s income. For best results, pick a property management company, a reliable relative, or a fellow landlord to take care of your duties while you’re gone.

2. Pick the right time.

Landlords Should Schedule Vacation after Rent CollectionWhen you’re planning a vacation as a landlord, timing is everything.

Think about it – if you schedule your vacation for the first of the month, you may not be able to handle rent collection and send out prompt late notices.

Consider planning your vacation about a week after you collect rent so all of your monthly collection tasks are out of the way.

As far as the time of year you choose, opt for a time you know will be slow so you aren’t stressed when you get back.

3. Let tenants know when you’ll be gone and what to expect.

One of the worst things you can do as a landlord is fail to notify your tenants ahead of time when you’re going to be unavailable. Not only will your tenants become frustrated – you’ll have to deal with phone calls from tenants while you’re trying to relax. So, try to tell them a few weeks in advance when you’re going out of town.

Also, make sure you’re clear about the dates you’ll be unavailable, and provide your tenants with your replacement’s contact information. If you’ve planned properly and given your replacement all of the necessary information as previously mentioned, you should be able to truly enjoy your vacation without being contacted constantly by your tenants.

4. Let contractors know that you’re taking a vacation.

call-bay-managementMake sure you tell your plumbers, electricians, and other contractors when you’re leaving Anne Arundel County and when you’re scheduled to return.

Don’t forget to provide them with your replacement’s contact information and let them know that that person has the authority to make decisions on your behalf while you’re away.

Doing so will help eliminate any confusion when one of your tenants requires service from a contractor.

5. If possible, take care of unfinished tasks before you leave.

To avoid worrying about work the whole time you’re vacationing, try to wrap up any major tasks before you leave.

On top of that, avoid starting any big projects right before your vacation. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself and come back to the shortest to-do list possible!

6. Keep your communication lines open while you’re away.

Landlords Need an Emergency Contact Number for VacationNo – you shouldn’t spend your entire vacation glued to your phone and email inbox.

But you should be available to the person looking after your property while you’re away.

To avoid unwanted calls and emails from tenants, let them know to contact your replacement if they need assistance.

Make it clear that you should only be contacted in the case of an urgent emergency that could cause harm to a tenant.

And remember – don’t stress too much about tenant problems while you’re away. If you’ve chosen the right person to take care of your tenants in your absence, you won’t have anything to worry about.

7. If you like to vacation frequently, consider property management services.

While a fellow landlord or trusted friend might be able to replace you if you’re gone for a short time, a property management company is usually a better choice for longer and/or more frequent vacations. Here’s what a property management company can do to help you enjoy a stress-free vacation and make your job as a landlord easier in general:

  • Tenant screening
  • Maintenance (some companies even have their own staff)
  • Rent collection
  • Inspections

Basically, the property manager can handle all of the tenants’ needs so you don’t have to, giving you much more free time and relieving you of stressful tasks. So, whether you decide to enjoy a vacation at the beach, in the mountains, or somewhere else, know that you’ll be able to keep your mind off of work if you choose professional property management services.

If you’re looking to vacation soon or would like to relieve yourself of unwanted landlord responsibilities, consider our Anne Arundel County property management services.

We help landlords in areas like Annapolis, Fort Meade, Laurel, Severna Park enjoy more free time; we’d love to help you next! If you’re interested in learning more, contact our team today!