Get Your Property Rent-Ready—and Positioned for Success

What does “Rent Ready Condition” Mean?

Penny Realty, Inc. is committed to providing safe, clean, and properly maintained homes to our residents.

Before Penny Realty will market and lease a property, it must meet applicable California habitability and safety requirements as well as Penny Realty's Rent-Ready Standards. These standards help ensure the property is safe, functional, clean, and presented in a condition that will attract qualified residents

A rent-ready property is ready for a new resident to move in and has all major systems, appliances, doors, windows, fixtures, and safety equipment in proper working condition. It should present well inside and out. Meeting Penny Realty's Rent-Ready Standards helps protect the long-term value of your investment.

Full Rent-Ready Requirements

In order to comply with both internal and state rental housing requirements, every property must meet the below list in order to be fully advertised and be ‘Rent-Ready’.

Requirements:

1. Professionally cleaned and presented in move-in-ready condition.
2. Carpet professionally cleaned and looking fresh (no noticeable stains, blemishes, holes, or burns).
3. All walls in home must be free of nails, holes, stickers, blemishes (patched and painted).
4. Interior painted surfaces should generally be neutral in color, with appropriate moisture-resistant finishes in kitchens and bathrooms. If custom paint colors are used, the owner must provide the paint brand, color, and finish information or clearly labeled extra paint for future touch-ups.
5. All painted surfaces fresh with no mismatched touch-up areas and repainting must be done corner to corner. (Includes: trim, doors, baseboards and ceilings).
6. All bedroom windows that have vertical or mini-blinds must be in good working order with no missing or broken pieces.
7. No personal property or items left in the unit. This includes furniture, knickknacks, toiletries, shower curtains, Kleenex boxes, kitchen or bathroom items, soap dispenser, pictures, cleaning products, trash, etc.
8. Patio furniture, washer and dryers, microwaves (not built in), barstools, BBQs, TV mounts, etc., can be left as a “convenience” (Owner will not repair or replace), but must be in good working condition. If the resident does not want these items, Owner must remove. No lawn equipment including mowers, tools, etc.
9. Garage floor swept. Paint cans, extra home materials stored away
10. No exterior debris
11. Lawn cut and trimmed, landscaping fresh and clean.
12. CO detectors installed outside of the kitchen and 1 on each floor, including basements. ONLY wall mounted, NO plug-in units.
13. Smoke detector on each floor
14. Smoke detector in each bedroom
15. All light bulbs working (interior/exterior)
16. Ceiling Fans and Remotes working
17. Doors open & close smoothly and doorstops installed on all doors
18. Bathroom caulking must be fresh and free of any mildew
19. All mechanical components working as designed. Includes HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, kitchen appliances, laundry appliances, sump pumps, water softeners, sprinkler systems, swamp coolers, gas/electric fireplaces, water filtration systems, etc.
20. Safety railings secure
21. Wood-burning fireplace(s), if operational, shall be clean of any debris and have a fireplace screen or heat-proof glass doors installed. If non-operational, the fireplace opening on the interior of the home shall be permanently sealed with an aesthetically pleasing material
22. Pools and spas must meet all applicable safety requirements and Penny Realty standards, including required barriers, alarms, or other safety devices. Owner to pay for weekly pool cleaning and maintenance services.

Recommendations:

1. Consider replacing draperies with blinds or shades for easier maintenance.
2. Sliding glass doors should have durable, easy-to-maintain window coverings.
3. Owners should consider providing regularly scheduled landscaping service where appropriate.

** These standards are not intended to cover every condition or repair that may be required. Each property is evaluated individually, and additional work may be necessary to meet applicable safety and habitability requirements and Penny Realty's Rent-Ready Standards.