tenant wanting roof to be insulated

Hi all,

one of my tenants has sent me a message asking for the roof space to be insulated as it's currently cold (being winter). these tenants have been in the property for 5-6 years. i purchased the property just over a year ago. they pay on time which is good. but i just thought it was a bit of a weird request. etc i'm a tenant my self but i wouldn't ask my landlord for this i'd just turn the ac on / buy a $10 heater from kmart. it's in qld as well. being qld we have short winters as well.

is this a weird request? would you pay for the roof to be insulated in the above scenario?

Cheers, Elives

 

i was leaning towards the same answer haha, my friend recently had his house done just the cheap chopped up paper stuff he said it was $800 and that was cheap compared to the better insulation materials / methods.

 

There is no such thing as good or bad insulation, assuming the same Rvalue is purchased.

Paper is just as good as batts at the same Rvalue. Though I wouldn't use it as I prefer to diy batts.

Install insulation for Queensland! How low do the temperatures get?

For Melbourne, I might, though.

 

i thought batts were better quality compared to paper. umm depends where you live but generally in qld our winter is much shorter then southern states. yea i could understand if the property was in melbourne.

 

Paper can settle. But when you purchase the paper insulation they should be adding a bit extra to allow for that.

The Your Home guide to sustainability suggests particular solutions for QLD as it has different needs to other states re. Insulation.

 

Duh! Insulation slows heat transfer so its benefits aren't limited to loss of heat in winter but also slows the transfer of summer heat too - how long is your summer?

 

Maybe in the next lease.

With the relevant and corresponding amount of rent increase to go with it...

Or; they can do what we have had to do - go to a shop and buy a fricken heater...

 

Here's a framework that can be used to ponder any request.

Need to differentiate between repairs and improvements. Repairs are obligatory, no question.

Improvements are optional. Since we're investors, they should be considered in the context of :
1) improving value of property (increases equity)
2) improving rent achievable (increases cash flow)
3) improving desirability of property, in turn keeping tenants longer or finding them sooner (protects cashflow).

Your property manager should be able to advise if or when points 2 or 3 are needed based on current rent market conditions in your suburb.

 

It sounds a bit unusual, but the message I hear is that the tenant is thinking longer term.

1.Is the current rent market rent? ( if not time for an increase)
2. I don't think Insulation requires any maintenance once installed.
3.How much in energy bills are they going to save by insulating.
Perhaps you could make it work for you by doing a few sums.. cost of installing .. vs energy bill savings.. vs rent increase?
I hope this helps

 

i have sent them a message back saying i would need to increase the rent to compensate for the insulation. the house has a solar hot water unit on it as well so there doing ok as rentals go haha.i don't really want to fork out the money as it's not really cosmetic / needs to be done.

 

I bet if you lived in the house you would be getting it done. I recently insulated my roof DIY for a cost of $800. I did this in summer as it was stinking hot without it, and now I'm benefiting in winter. I think it's pretty much a must have. I would have the home insulated for the tenants and ask for $5-10 a week extra rent, then your rental will be insulated and the tenants will pay it off over 1-2 years.

 

if i lived in a house that was cold etc i'd put a jumper on or buy a $10-20 heater from kmart. saying that we've had insulation installed on 2 properties (where i've lived) and to be honest i've never really noticed a difference. how have you gone with your insulation have you noticed a big difference?

Cheers, Elives

 

I have noticed a big difference, comparing the insulated and non insulated rooms.

I also have thick curtains as a huge amount of heat is lost through windows and gaps under the door etc.

 

@fullylucky - take note & ban @Elives from any of your properties

 

My friend paid an extra $10 per week for 3 years for an A/C.

When he vacated he took the A/C with him claiming it was his as he paid for it!

 

@datto - there is a small risk if you say that the reason for the rent increase is for a specific item - this might be one of them times it's best to keep quiet.

 

where i'm living atm the walls are old vj walls non insulated and you can hear the other tenants in the next room / sound. so sound is a big one i think insulation works with. money worth spent then in your case. what type of insulation did you get btw?