Please find below a selection of questions we frequently get at Townside from owners about properties when leases turn over to new tenants in the summer as well as expectations of what you can expect from refurbishments.

Basic Turn Maintenance that Occurs on All Managed Units

Over a 10 day period, on average, we coordinate inspectors and third party vendors to come in and out of your property to take it from the move out condition the last tenants left the property in, to being a rent ready unit in move in condition for the next tenants.  This is the reason for the gap between leases which we work hard to make as short as possible!  This basic maintenance includes a combination of:

1. Prescheduled work (paint/flooring/cabinet upgrades that are anticipated ahead of time and scheduled) and Unscheduled work (things we find in the unit like a need for paint/flooring/leaks/appliances that we do not know about until after move out.  The unscheduled work is why some refurbishments or amounts are marked 'TBD' on your refurb form - they cannot be determined until we see the condition of the unit after move out.

2. Basic maintenance (changing light bulbs, smoke detectors, small repairs on doors/walls) and Preventative maintenance (explained below)

The unscheduled work that is difficult to plan for is why we require a $1500 owner hold whenever a property turns.  This allows us to have funds available to pay third party contractors who work very hard over the summer to get properties in rent ready condition in a very short period of time (so that you do not go without rent!).  It is rare, even in the best scenarios, to not incur some basic maintenance and cleaning costs during a unit turnover.

What is ‘preventative maintenance’ on my property?

Just like your vehicle needs regular oil changes to avoid major engine damage, your property requires basic maintenance to avoid costly repairs as well as lower or missed rents. Preventative maintenance to protect your investment against catastrophic repairs is scheduled on your property automatically UNLESS you opt out in writing and have a conversation with a staff member. Standard preventative maintenance for your property will include:

1.    Yearly gutter cleaning (fall), dryer vent cleaning (winter), and HVAC seasonals (early spring) where necessary.

2.    Preventative work at every unit turn to include: caulking in wet areas where necessary, replacing older toilet flappers/faucets/washer hoses, installation of water detection devices in laundry + bathrooms to prevent flooding, lubricating vent fans, pans under washers, rusted hvac vents, along with security deposit repairs (smoke alarm batteries, hvac filters) that are charged to tenants.

3.    Yearly exterior inspection of all detached homes to provide recommendations of any necessary roof/tree/window/walkway work needed to prolong the life of your roof/gutters/exterior (included in management fee).

Will I be charged for a gutter seasonal cleaning if my rental is in an HOA (Homeowners Association)?

No! If you live in an HOA that includes exterior maintenance, gutter cleaning will be done by the HOA as part of your monthly dues. We send information about preventative maintenance as standard wording to all owners that you can disregard if your HOA cleans your gutters.

What to expect from Pre-approved/Pre-scheduled Upgrades and Refurbishments

Uniformity: 

Because of the quantity of properties that turn over in the NRV in a very short window, it is essential that vendors only offer a small selection of color/style/quality options to ensure: 1. a quality/consistent installation, 2. that materials can be anticipated and stocked ahead of time, and 3. that costs are kept down.  You will see this uniformity reflected in the different categories below and strongly encourage owners to stick with these stock choices to save significant costs and potential headaches over the turn.  In most cases, these uniform options will be all we are able to coordinate for you in the office so that we can give quality service to each of the 250-300 properties that we have turn over each summer.

Paint: 

The majority of units that turn will require some amount of paint to be returned to rent ready condition from 'PAN' (explained below) to a Full Paint where the entire unit is painted.

'PAN' or ‘Paint as Needed’ is recommended when any amount of paint short of a full paint of the unit is needed. The scope of paint needed cannot accurately be determined until tenant move-out, however we need to schedule this ahead of time to ensure there is a painting contractor available to do the work and to give them the opportunity to order their supplies.  'PAN', unless otherwise noted will be sprayed and matched as best as possible to the existing colors.  This is part of our reasoning why uniform colors are necessary - it saves the need for full paints or custom paints when the same color/sheen is used consistently and therefore saves cost.

Full Paint:  The basic full paint of a unit will be sprayed with flat paint on all ceilings/walls/trim after basic patch work on the walls is completed.  The color is a shade of white which we feel has a timeless quality that will not date the unit when current colors go out of style.

1. Upgrades:  for an additional charge, trim and doors can be brushed in a semi-gloss white with walls and ceilings still sprayed in a uniform. flat contrasting shade of white. 
2. Custom paint:  ‘Custom’ paint jobs that either require custom colors outside the standard or rolled walls and painted trim/ceilings in contrasting colors can be coordinated on a very limited basis.  These custom paint jobs will come with a significantly higher cost because of the time and coordination required.  We strongly encourage owners against choosing custom paint as we do not see it providing a significant rate of return on their investment compared to the cost.

Flooring: 

When flooring upgrades are necessary, we offer a few options which can be installed throughout or in limited spaces in a rental:

1. 2022 Carpet and Vinyl: The most affordable option, however with a shorter lifespan and more basic look than LVP
2. Carpet installed will be either:  Shaw in color Oyster, or either Shaw in Fossil or Townhouse Taupe
3. Sheet Vinyl:  Shaw in color Lincoln
4. 2022 LVP: An upgraded look that can help increase rent rate and last longer with proper care, however at a significant cost increase
5. Basic LVP:  Glue down over concrete will be Blue Ridge in color Aspen.  Over wood subfloor, floating lvp will be Armstrong Treasured Villa in color "Weathered Slate".
6. Upgraded LVP:  Durato Panzu in colors Berlin or Dublin

Bathroom Vanity/Lights/Mirrors

We install white vanities with matching white mirrors and silver lights in bathrooms.  This is the 2022 style vanity you can anticipate in the appropriate width for your bathroom.  Here is a link to the style you can anticipate.

It is highly recommended to coordinate vanity replacement with new floors as newer vanities are typically smaller than what was originally installed and can cause an unsightly gap in the flooring.

Other upgrades: 

On a very limited basis, we can also coordinate upgrades to appliances, kitchen cabinets, and tub surrounds.  Please see the question below about scheduling an extensive or custom remodel of your unit.

Exterior upgrades: 

We encourage owners to consider exterior upgrades in times other than summer throughout the year as they can be accomplished while tenants are occupying the property.

Why are the estimates for my recommended pre-planned or turn work so high?

There are a number of factors (especially since Covid-19) that have caused the price of maintenance to go up with our third-party vendors. Material prices have gone up similar to the ways prices of food have gone up at the grocery store. Added to this, the number of qualified people who can accomplish maintenance tasks has gone down – especially for general contractors looking for day laborers. Finally, while never perfect, we aim to price estimates high so that there are no surprises for additional owner contributions and will never charge you more than the work’s actual costs.

Will Townside manage a large-scale renovation on my property?

It is beyond the scope of our expertise to manage a large-scale renovation of your property.  However, we have a list of trusted contractors that we can put you in touch with to coordinate larger projects. We ask that you coordinate the timing of large-scale work with us so we can do everything possible to help it run smoothly to ensure that your property is vacant for the least amount of time possible!

Paying for Turn Work/Refurbishments and Reimbursements from Tenant Damage

What is an owner contribution?

Money paid into the owner’s account by the owner to ensure funds are available for upcoming maintenance.

When will I be charged for turn maintenance work and refurbishments/upgrades?

Unit turn work that you pre-approved on your rent/refurbishment form in Aug/Sept will require either (1) an owner contribution in May/June in the estimated amount of the work or (2) we can hold back rent the prior months to the work to ensure the appropriate amount is available in your account for us to pay contractors in a timely fashion.

When can I expect unused funds that were withheld for turn maintenance to be reimbursed?

Any unused funds will be processed as an owner distribution along with your September rent payment if not before.

Why is the repair needed on my property an owner charge and not a tenant charge?

Virginia Landlord/Tenant Laws determine what we can and cannot charge to a tenant’s security deposit regarding damaged or worn items after a tenant moves out. This is especially true in the instance of paint, where regular wear and tear (bed head marks, spackled holes where pictures were hung, fading) is not allowed by law to be charged to the tenants however requires touch up paint to return the property to rent ready condition. We work hard to ensure that all damage caused by a tenant that necessitates repair to make the unit rent ready is a security deposit charge, while also doing everything required by VA law to protect the tenant’s rights.

It seems like I was charged for 'move out' expenses that should be charged to the security deposit?

Security deposit items are initially charged to the owner so that contractors can be paid in a timely fashion. Once all invoices are received, we will process the Security Deposit Return, which is required by law to be completed within 45 Days of the lease end date, and you will be reimbursed for “move-out” expenses that you have paid. We try our best to pay invoices AND process the security deposit within the same month so that owners are not without funds, however, this is not always possible and you will be reimbursed the following month.