Rental Properties Need Window Treatments Too

Window treatments are a basic necessity for most homes, but some ask “Do rental properties need window treatment, too?”

Because window treatments can be used for privacy and light control, they are just as important for rental properties as they are for primary residences.

As a property manager, providing window treatments in your rental unit can be a way to improve your tenant’s overall experience. Upgrading those window treatments to higher quality products is an easy way to increase property value, thereby generating more revenue. With that in mind, here are a few tips when deciding if your rental properties need window treatments or not.

Energy Efficiency

Providing tenants with a way to keep utility costs low should be an important consideration by property owners and managers.

Window treatments improve the energy efficiency of a window by blocking heat transfer at the glass. This means that the window treatment help keep the heat out in the summer and keeps the heat in during the winter months.

That being said, not all window treatments are created equal. The materials used and the way the window treatments are made will affect how much of an added insulation factor they will provide.

When it comes to energy efficiency, there is one window treatment that performs better than most. Honeycomb shades (sometimes called cellular shades) have multiple layers of fabric that form pockets to trap the air and prevent heat transfer.

Style

When it comes to rental properties, taking “style” into consideration may not be at the top of the list for some property managers. However, with the right property, in the right market, the right style can set your unit apart from other rentals in the area.

Perhaps you are trying to convey a hip ultra-modern look. You may want to consider motorized roller shades or ripplefold drapery. If your space has more of an old-school traditional look, a 2″ wood blind with decorative tapes may be the way to go. But if you’re going for the industrial loft kind of vibe, you may want to consider aluminum mini-blinds in metallic shades like hammered gold or brushed aluminum.

Durability

How well a window treatment is going to hold up over time is likely one of the most important factors a property manager needs to consider.

One way to improve the durability and life of your window treatments is to select products with a cordless lift option. This eliminates the traditional lifting cords as a potential failure point during the everyday wear and tear that a window treatment receives. Cordless lift systems can cost a bit more than standard lift systems but over the course of the life of the window treatment, the added cost can be minimal.

Cordless products are also the preferred choice to create a child-safe environment.

Privacy and Light Control

Two things that window coverings do better than anything else is providing a level of privacy and light control at the window.

Most tenants do not want to feel like they are “living in a fish bowl” and that everything they do in their home is on display for their neighbors. So providing a way for a renter to have privacy when needed is very important.

The ability to control how much light enters a room at certain times of day can be an important consideration for a tenant also. Perhaps they work nights and need to keep their bedroom dark during the day. In that case, a room-darkening shade would be important to them. Perhaps it is the opposite. Perhaps they love waking up with the sun but need a way to deflect or redirect the direct light. In that case, a horizontal or vertical blind would do the trick.

Obviously, as a property manager, you probably can’t change the window treatments each time a new tenant moves in. However, if you know your demographics and the type of renter your property attracts, then you can make decisions based on that information.

Repair or Replace

Over the life of a window treatment, it is likely that something, at some point, is going to fail. When it does, you will need to decide if it is more cost-effective to repair the window treatment or to replace it.

If you ordered custom window treatments from a local window treatment dealer, it may be much easier to repair the product because their supplier will have access to replacement parts for several years after the product was originally manufactured. It is also likely that the dealer will have an installer on staff that has been trained on how to repair the product. However, if you buy window treatments online or at a local hardware store, finding parts may be much more difficult and it might be simpler to just replace the unit.

Another thing to keep in mind during the original selection process is this… “Will this product be out of style when you are ready to replace it?” Some products like interior shutters or horizontal blinds never go out of style and you can find identical products for years after your original purchase. However, some products, like fabric shades, tend to follow trends with regard to colors, textures, and design. What is popular today, might be “vintage” five years from now. In this case, you may have to replace all of the window treatments when one breaks just to achieve that consistent look throughout your rental property.

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