We’ve worked every day for months on this house. At least I have – Andrew helped on an occasional evening after work and on the weekends. Now our rental house is just about ready for the inspection!
Rental Regulations
Each place has its own rules for rentals. In Reno, NV we didn’t need an inspection and there were no fees associated with having a rental property. You just listed it and rented it. The City of Duluth has a lot of regulations around rentals. I can understand wanting to know what properties are rentals in a community. I also think the regulations and fees are a bit over the top, here.
Inspection Fees
First, there is a “conversion fee” of $1500 to turn a house into a rental. Then, there is a “rental base fee” of $300. An additional $40 per bedroom fee, and a $100 fee if there are not off street parking spaces available. The last three fees are due every year.
This all seems a bit over the top. What services do I get for all these fees? I get an annual inspection for which they are evidently months behind. We saw several houses that were rentals up for sale when we bought this one. They were in terrible shape. Wires on the outside of the walls, outlets that were not grounded, rusting galvanized pipes and other safety hazards. The rust stains in the sinks and tubs, peeling paint, and puddles at the foundation were gross and possibly signaled other issues. Unimpressed is the kindest way to put the state of these “inspected and permitted ” rental houses. This makes me unsure of the purpose of the inspections and fees associated with rentals here in Duluth.
Some of the Updates
That aside, we are ready for the inspection. Last month we had a new AC and driveway installed.
Next week another contractor is coming to remove a chunk of the basement cement floor and old, damaged P-trap. The P-trap was installed long ago to prevent smells coming up through the main house sewer drain. Now, it’s code to have one under each sink and tub. The removal of the P-trap will allow the plumber to access the sewer to be scoped and cleaned.
I’ve painted every inch of the interior and exterior of this house. We’ve installed a couple new light fixtures, and Andrew installed a new drop ceiling and floor in the kitchen.
So Many Repairs
In the last couple months, we’ve made so many repairs that I can’t even count. From replacing a rotten board on the porch, to installing a landing at the base of the exterior stairs. We’ve spent each day here doing laundry in the new machines we purchased and had installed. We wash dishes in the dishwasher (we just discovered this is leaking and needs to be repaired). We took showers and discovered the recently resurfaced tub was not caulked correctly and was rusting at the drain. Basically, we found that this old house had 20 years worth of deferred maintenance. So many issues likely unknown by previous owners and some the sellers “forgot” to disclose when they sold the house.
The house is almost repaired now and ready for the inspection. After the dishwasher repair, gutter guards installation, and stain on the back stairs, this week, the maintenance will be complete!
I’m so happy that I was able to do so much labor myself! Andrew did a fair bit, too! The house looks great and more importantly, feels great. Pulling into the driveway, walking in the front or back door – this house feels cozy and like a home. It’s ready for the inspection and the eventual tenants.
After the final cleaning and inspection I’ll post more photos. Soon I’ll write a post or two about the landscaping I’ve been working on. I added lots of natives to this yard-lots of time spent on curb appeal!
