AAOA Blog

by Julie Murphy

Leaving Shoes at the Door Saves Money!

Since replacing the carpet yearly is not really on option, ongoing carpet care is one of the best ways to protect a major investment in your properties.

As a landlord, protective and preventative maintenance is really the best tactic, rather than trying to clean up messes afterwards.

Basic necessary steps to ensure carpet cleanliness are: 

• Professionally clean the carpet at least once a year, being mindful of the type of carpeting which is installed.
• Have appropriate stain protector applied to the carpet after cleaning.
• Provide each unit with inexpensive entrance mats.  As much as 80% of all tracked in soil can be prevented with this easy solution.  Be sure to have mats in public areas as well.

Encouraging your TENANT to master the art of keeping the carpets and their home clean is a worthy goal.  Working together, the carpet will have a longer life and your investment will be protected through a few easy steps:

Stains CAN happen–in spite of your tenants’ best efforts.
Leave a list of common stains and what to do to clean them with an appropriate spot cleaner under the sink.  Use of a cleaner not suited for your carpet could do more harm than good.

Provide a carpet shampooer or stain extractor on loan from the office to encourage tenants to clean stains quickly.

Encourage tenants to vacuum regularly and to take off their shoes at home.

By enlisting the help from your tenants, they gain a clean living environment (and the ability to receive their damage deposit back!!) and you get a longer life for your carpet. 

Click to see Cheap Carpet Cleaning Tips to Transform Your Apartment.

Click to see Flooring For the Future.

American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services related to your commercial housing investment including REAL ESTATE FORMS, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing.  Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.

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Tags: carpet+maintenance, carpet+care, save+your+carpets, landlords, landlord+associations, apartment+owners+associations, leave+shoes+at+the+door

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