Window coverings in a rental

Parent Cafe
1

I would love to hear some feedback on window coverings being necessary or not in a rental. My parents old house is a renal and many of the honeycomb shades’ cords are not pulling properly. I am getting a bid on repair or replace. This is a 30+ year old home with a back wall of windows and sliding glass doors which face a pretty private back yard. Would the average tenant expect to have window coverings in this situation? I have no window coverings on my back yard windows, but I might be weird.

The house will remain a rental until the market improves and we sell it, so any window coverings would only be for the tenants.

I am trying to keep costs down in this month with no rent and $1000 in other maintenance and repair expenses, but don’t want to make a decision that makes it unappealing to renters.

2

I like you, love a bare window. But, in most cases, I like the option of a shade or blind or something to pull down or close. I’m guessing most people would want the option.

And a renter isn’t going to want to invest in hanging their own most likely.

3

You can probably get something cheap like a pull shade or blinds so I would do that. It would be a turn off to me if I were a prospective tenant to see a rental unit with no window coverings.

4

In my rentals, I always put up (cheap) window coverings, usually fake wood blinds sold at Home Depot, plus a rod for curtains should they desire that look (they can supply the curtains if they wish). This is to prevent the tenants from messing with the walls, drilling holes, etc. to put up their own in a sloppy manner.

5

I am thinking window coverings in the bedrooms, but what about the living room? A full wall of windows & slider.

6

We usually put up something like mini-blinds in the rentals, even in living rooms. For a wall of windows and sliders, maybe vertical blinds? What you don’t want is the tenant trying to hang something themselves and messing up the walls or woodwork.

7

If you want respectful tenants I would guess you should treat them with respect. They may not want lught streaming in or appreciate the reflected light at nighttime. Inexpensive shades gives them the option of keeping the windows covered.

8

H and I replaced all 20 blinds in our house. Went to home depot and the cost for each was $150. Went online with ebay and got them for under $30 each! Saved about $1200. About a month after we received the packages, H was installing them. Found one set had the wrong hardware. Sent the seller an email and got the hardware withiin the week. Here’s what they look like.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Top-Down-Bottom-Up-Cellular-Shade-White-Free-Shipping-/350786875823?var=&hash=item51ac86f1af

9

My own home doesn’t have window treatments in many rooms. BUT that is my choice.

In a rental, I would put up mini blinds. I would also be very clear on what kinds of other window treatment hardware you will allow.

10

I own a large expensive rental home with privacy in the back and sides. There are no window coverings on the first level. Although I did install blinds on all the upstairs bedrooms. Never had a prospective renter care or comment on the lack of main level coverings.

11

You need to keep the house attractive looking to subsequent renters and potential buyers.

Ersatz curtains made from stapled up bedsheets, because landlord didn’t include basic window treatments, make a terrible first impression.

12

<<< back wall of windows and sliding glass doors >>>>

shade cords not pulling properly? Have you googled how to repair yourself? Sometimes, if you’re a bit handy, you can repair these yourself.

Is it the clutch or what that isn’t working?

http://www.fixmyblinds.com/Cellular-Honeycomb-Shade-Parts-s/315.htm

13

You might want to check out Ikea. It too has blinds. My married kid and spouse can’t afford to spend a lot of money on blinds, but need them. Ikea had some for less than $40 per window.

14

Sounds like the slider plus windows is the issue. Sounds like you want them to match.

What is on the slider now?

15

I have two kids renting now. One moved into a home with no window coverings and they have some tacky fabric draped over the existing rods in the bedrooms. The other has nice vertical blinds on all the windows.

16

What is your rental audience? Is it folks who won’t have extra money for window treatments (like students) or is it folks who might want to choose their own…and you won’t mind if they put up blinds, or curtain rods themselves?

17

I too don’t have any window coverings on the back windows, which face a corn field, but tenants might feel the need for more privacy at night.

I once rented a vacation property where the back windows did not have any window coverings. There was no home or road behind the house, but it still felt strange.

18

It’s a nice middle class home in a middle class neighborhood and not far from a military base, sometimes officers live this far from base, often a retired couple or people with kids.

I am 1,000 miles away so can’t check it myself, but have a local contractor who does work for me.

That is a good point that many people feel nervous without window coverings, this is in a small town and abuts acreage so no city stuff, but those cows can be dangerous at night, tipping and all :wink:

19

Yeah, I hear you about those cows! Maybe take into consideration how large the windows are. At the vacation home I mentioned, there was a wall of floor to ceiling windows in the tv room. I’m sure if we would have been permanent residents we would have gotten used to it. But I think tenants have different expectations.