2020-12-16 Give Momma What She Wants!
| By:
Jeff Taylor
GIVE MOMMA WHAT SHE WANTS Here's a success secret from one of our regular contributors on MrLandlord: "Find out what people want and let them pay you for it. Add amenities that separate you from the "average" for faster turns at more rent. Consumer Reports magazine for August has the results of their garbage disposal testing (which is a popular amenity that momma wants). We install the 3/4 hp model and NEVER have an issue, not the 1/2 hp $90 model most landlords complain about. And our folks abuse them just like yours. So the Consumer Reports chart shows the $90 Badger garbage disposal way down at rank #15 and #18 on their list for performance and value. The $140 Moen garbage disposal is #2 on their list, marked as Consumer Reports BEST BUY. That's a $50 difference. The $235 GE model is #1 and marked Consumer Reports RECOMMENDED. For an extra $50 I give Momma the amenity she wants, which separates me from the competition, and I don't have to worry about service calls." The above idea was shared by Brad 20,000 (IN). However, there are many landlords who joined the "garbage disposal" discussion who are against the idea of including disposals in rental homes, because they feel they cause more problems than they're worth. In fact, many landlords actually remove disposals. To see the complete discussion on the topic of including garbage disposals and desired amenities in your rental home, click here. I believe the central point Brad shared is that you can get more rent--and even more important--better quality residents, by offering amenities that the lady of the house wants. And I totally agree with that point. The garbage disposal was just an example of one amenity he used to start off the discussion.