Install flat screen tv(s) in rental property

[b simpson]

Has anyone had any experience installing flat screen tv's into a rental property?

My reasoning is its a pretty compact 3 bedroom house with pretty small lounge room and 3rd bedroom. If I lived there I would install flat screen tv's in at least lounge and MBR to make much better use of the space. No real room for a big tv cabinet. Also cabling would be concealed and much neater than most places I have inspected. Can include cabling for DVR, etc easily enough.

Location is rural in the nice part of town.

Assume $500 per TV, and $300 to install. Another option is to install a wall mount with associated cabling and put a dummy panel over it but I don't really want people installing and removing a TV all the time that is asking for problems.

What sort of a rent return do people think would make it worthwhile? If I ever went fully furnished in the future installed TV's would be handy.

 

[depreciator]

I can't see that it's going to get you a premium in rent. And it could be a headache i.e. if the telly stops working, it's your problem.
We've had the odd client put them into apartments. They can be useful if there are a bunch of apartments on the market and they are all the same. If one of them has a flat screen telly, it can give it an edge.

 

[mattysavager]

I would advise against it.

Firstly - most people moving into a 3 bedroom home would already have at least 1 or 2 TVs - so you providing them doesn't seem like much incentive. They would just need to put their TVs in the garage while they lived there.

Secondly - if you provide the TV as an inclusion - then you're responsible for repairing/replacing it if it breaks. To me - it's just another thing that can go wrong (tenant loses remote, damages TV, etc).

I'm also not sure about the demand for wall mounted TVs. Most renters don't have them and don't necessarily want them. I've had one request to have the TV wall mounted in the last 4ish years - so I wouldn't say it's a huge factor.

You would gain some 'wow' but at a cost of $800 per room I wouldn't do it. If you want to furnish your property (another questionable decision for similar reasons as above) - then go the whole hog and furnish it - I just don't think a few TVs will make much difference.

Matt

 

[b simpson]

Thanks for the advice that's what I thought people would say, although I was hoping otherwise.

Might just ensure there are suitable tv outlets and gpo's and let the tenants worry about the rest.

 

[depreciator]

Be guided by the property manager - if they're any good. Ask them if there is something not too expensive you can do the place if you're having trouble attracting tenants.

 

[Propertunity]

A couple of week-ends ago, I was bidding at auction on behalf of a USA-based investor for a unit. She'd already had the contract of sale checked out by a solicitor and given the OK, so, being busy I did not pay much attention to it.......until, having won, I was signing the contract under a POA - and then noticed that the inclusions were -
a fridge, a lounge suite, a flat screen TV, etc etc.

Value I placed on these items whilst I was bidding - $0, zero, zip, nada.