As a landlord, keeping your tenants happy should be one of your priorities. While there are ways to actively keep them happy (e.g., respecting their privacy, attending to repairs, offering incentives), there are ways to indirectly influence their mood.
Through the clever use of design, you can create an environment that uplifts your tenant’s mood and improves their well-being. These design tips can give them a more memorable and pleasant stay, which hopefully encourages them to stay a little longer!
#1 A Splash of Color
When it comes to colors, there’s no need to play it safe! While neutral colors such as gray, white, and tan have calming effects, upbeat colors such as yellow, lilac, and peach can make the home’s occupants feel happier and energized. To inspire optimism in your Florida rental home, choose paints that can boost your tenants’ morale.
Fair warning, though — you may want to exclude the bedroom. Happy colors are better suited for living spaces such as craft rooms, home offices, and the like. Your tenants might not be too happy to find a brightly colored bedroom where tranquility is most important.
#2 High Ceilings
No one likes being confined in cramped spaces… well, maybe except for tiny house owners. The point is, living in a tight space — especially if you’re working from home all the time — can make you feel less productive. To make sure that your tenants never feel this way, consider raising your rental home’s ceiling. This process involves changing the structure of the roof, which means it’s going to be a major home improvement. In that case, it may be worth your while to hire a property manager who can supervise the renovation from start to finish.
Is raising the roof not within your budget? Don’t worry, there are cheaper ways to make your ceiling look higher. For example, if you like the “industrial” look, you could expose the beams on the ceiling. You could also avoid using hanging lights as these can make the ceiling feel lower.
#3 A Touch of Nature
Immersing yourself in nature has several scientifically-backed benefits such as reducing stress, lowering your heart rate, and easing mental health issues. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time to spend time in the great outdoors. The alternative solution would be to bring nature indoors instead.
Adding a touch of nature to your rental home can boost your tenant’s mood. Since not everyone has a green thumb, low-maintenance plants such as succulents, snake plants, and spider plants are excellent choices. While it can be tempting to turn your rental home into an indoor jungle, keep in mind that not your tenant may not have the time (or willingness) to keep them alive.
#4 Large Windows
Large windows offer plenty of benefits. First, they allow daylight to stream in. Natural light is known to boost one’s energy and improve one’s mood. As a bonus, taking advantage of natural light can make your rental home more energy-efficient. Second, it brings the outdoors in. If your home has spectacular views, using big windows that look out onto nature can enhance your tenant’s well-being and increase their creativity.
Finally, floor-to-ceiling windows make the home appear larger. In the event that you sell the home in the future, the size of the windows can be a great selling point. You might even be able to charge a lot higher!
#5 Open Floor Plan
If your home was built before the 1950s, it’s likely that it still has a closed floor plan. If that’s the case, you may want to consider having an open floor plan. An open floor plan makes the space appear larger and allows the occupants to interact with one another more freely. Instead of designing separate rooms, think about designing a single space that has several functions.
For example, you can tear down the wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room. This allows your tenants to entertain their guests while they’re preparing drinks, cooking meals, and so on.
As a property investor, this home improvement works in your best interests. Residences with open floor plans appreciate by approximately 7.4% each year. A property management company can provide an accurate estimate of your property’s value after undergoing renovations.
#6 A “Happy Space”
A designated “happy space” in your Florida rental home provides your tenants with a place to relax and escape. It can be as simple as a reading nook with optimistic colors, plush chairs, and soft pillows. It can also be a hobby room where your tenants can work on their craft, whether that’s painting, knitting, or playing an instrument.
It’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t make the “happy space” so big, as your tenants may have other ideas for it. What’s important is that you provide them with a space where they can feel at peace.
#7 Indoor/Outdoor Living
As mentioned earlier, surrounding oneself with nature has several benefits to one’s health and well-being. This is why homes that offer a seamless transition between the indoors and the outdoors are becoming increasingly popular.
Embracing indoor/outdoor living is easy. All you need to do is to make sure that your home feels connected to the outdoors. For example, if your living room has views of the surrounding landscape, you can make use of sliding doors. That way, your tenants can slide open the doors to appreciate the calmness of nature and the comfort of home at the same time.
A word of advice — if your rental property’s yard could do some work, it may be best to invest in landscaping upgrades first. No one wants to have views of a yard that’s filled with overgrown trees, dead plants, and fallen branches.
The Bottom Line
Your tenant’s idea of a “happy home” might be different from yours. While the criteria may vary, there are design tips that are universal. By applying the design secrets above, you can improve the quality of your rental home and turn it into one that keeps your tenants happy.
Need advice on designing your rental home? At Luxury Property Care, we work with the industry’s best interior designers and property stagers to ensure that your tenants love living in your home. Call us today at (561) 944 – 2992 to learn more or leave us a message via our contact form.
