When to replace fixtures and fittings in your rental
Regardless of how well you and your rental occupiers look after an investment property, there will inevitably come a time when fixtures and fittings at the property need to be replaced.
After all, everything has a lifespan and the timely update of carpets, curtains and appliances can help ensure that your property remains well maintained and appealing.
But it begs the question, what sort of lifespan can you expect from your fixtures and fittings, and when are they likely to need replacement?
Carpets
The precise lifespan of carpets in a rental property depends on a range of things, including the initial quality of the carpet, how its been treated and how many people regularly walk those floors.
That said, investment property owners should expect to replace carpets approximately every 8-10 years.
Repainting
Repainting your rental property is one of the fastest and most effective ways to give a residence a new lease on life.
But how often should it be done? The reality is walls and paint sustain their fair share of wear regardless of how well the rental occupiers look after the home, so a general rule of thumb is to repaint approximately every seven years.
Ceiling fans
Whether it’s rusted blades, worn motors, total failure or the fact they only work on some speeds, ceiling fans are something that tends to need fairly regular replacement for both aesthetic and functional reasons.
As for how often, well it’s generally accepted you might need to replace ceiling fans as often as every five years.
This timeframe is also the ‘effective lifespan’ the Australian Taxation Office has assigned to ceiling fans, meaning you can claim depreciation on this item for a period of five years.
Window coverings
Window coverings are another of those fixtures that can quickly date a property. They also tend to incur their fair share of wear and tear.
But when it comes to lifespan, it varies, depending on whether they’re curtains or blinds. Curtains have a general lifespan of six years, while you should expect to replace internal blinds every 10 years.
Ovens, stovetops, and cooktops
Ovens, stoves and cooktops are rental property necessities, and if they break and your rental occupant cannot cook, it’s considered an emergency repair.
Fortunately, ovens, stoves and cooktops tend to have a lengthy useable lifespan, and you can expect to replace them approximately every 12 years.
Dishwashers
Dishwashers are one of the more frequently replaced appliances in rental properties as they get their fair share of use daily.
As a result the Australian Taxation Office lists their ‘effective lifespan’ as eight years but, if you’re lucky, it will last a whole lot longer than that.
Air conditioners
The lifespan of an air conditioner depends on a whole host of things, including the quality of the original, how often it’s used and how well it’s maintained.
That said, split system air conditioners have a taxation lifetime of 10 years and most have a manufacturer’s warranty of about five years.
How we can help
Our experienced property managers pride themselves on establishing great relationships with both rental occupiers and owners.
We manage every property as if it were our own and you can learn more about our property management services here.
Alternatively, if you are looking to rent a property, you can view the properties we currently have available here.
