Irrespective of the property’s size, property managers have several responsibilities. Some of their duties include marketing the rental, screening tenants, collecting rents, evictions, inspections, cleaning, maintenance, etc.
Property maintenance is an essential process that can be tedious. This article will provide you with valuable information to help give your clients and tenants excellent services.
Benefits of planning your property maintenance
Without thorough or careful planning, property maintenance can be challenging. You may forget or overlook certain things that can become detrimental to the house or expensive to fix.
Adequate maintenance will help you stay ahead of your competitors. As a result, you will attract new clients/renters and retain the existing ones. A poor maintenance plan will make renters vacate the property and leave terrible reviews. However, proper maintenance will make your tenants happy. Plan your property maintenance if you want to mitigate the risk of injuries, fires, property damage, and other hazards that may give you legal issues. Doing so will prevent you from experiencing high insurance premiums or terrible reviews about your services.
Remember that you have several responsibilities as a property manager. Planning the property maintenance will help you track orders, contact landlords/tenants, handle emergencies, and pay invoices within a short time. Providing quick responses will lessen your workload. When your property maintenance is efficient, you save more money by extending your equipment’s lifespan. In addition, poor maintenance reduces the market value and rental prices. However, proper upkeep will boost its value, and you can even increase the rent without complaint from your tenants.
How to offer impressive property maintenance services
Before you enjoy the benefits above, you need to provide excellent maintenance services to your renters and clients. To achieve this, you need to do the following:
- Perform routine preventive maintenance: We recommend a preventive maintenance schedule to guide you on the tasks to conduct every month, season, and year. Doing so will help prolong your appliances’ lifespan and reduce breakdowns or costly repairs.
- Proper tracking and handling of expenses: It is advisable to employ the services of an integrated maintenance software program that can help you pay all your vendors promptly without forgetting any invoices. It will consume more time if you decide to handle it manually. In addition, there may be some significant mistakes and poor tracking of expenses.
- Timely response to requests: Your renters will always notice how you respond to their requests. It is better to address their request promptly and reassure them that you are working towards solving the problem. You can provide an online system where they will submit their complaints and track their status. Doing so will ease the process for your renters and team.
Seasonal maintenance checklist
There are specific things you need to do every season. These things help to maintain your property. It is advisable to have a maintenance checklist. The list will guide you on what to do each season. Below are some seasonal tasks depending on the nature of your property:
Spring
- Inspect the interior to check for mold and mildew. Where necessary, use thermal cameras.
- Clean gutters and downspouts.
- Hire professionals to inspect your roof for leaks and damages.
- Inspect and repair damages from wind, rain, and snow.
- Inspect and clean your HVAC system. Change all the air filters.
- Maintain the lawn and landscape.
Summer
- Check the walls, windows, and doors. Seal all cracks or gaps.
- Clean the gutters and windows.
- Test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Replace dead batteries.
- Have your air conditioners serviced.
- Hire professional plumbers to inspect all your plumbing systems and fixtures.
- Clean the floor and furniture; pressure wash where necessary.
- Repair broken decks and patios.
- Mow the lawn and trim the trees.
- Inspect outdoor lights and replace dead bulbs.
Fall
- Clean and remove debris from gutters and downspouts.
- Inspect the fire screen, grate, and flue.
- Clean the chimney.
- Perform annual safety and fire drills with the tenants.
- Replace broken trash cans.
- Inspect the roof for obstruction, leaks, and wears.
- Inspect the HVAC system and replace the filters.
- Turn off the sprinklers or irrigation system.
- Remove dead leaves, tree branches, and weeds.
Winter
- Insulate the water pipes to prevent freezing.
- Inspect the roof and clean the gutters.
- Test the CO2 and smoke alarms.
- Service your furnaces if they use natural gas.
- Repair or replace faulty HVAC systems.
- Trim the trees.
- Winterize the pools.
- Remove ice or snow from the walkway.
It will benefit all parties involved if you can achieve efficient property maintenance. Your tenants will feel happy and satisfied. Your clients will minimize expenses and earn more income. As the Alpharetta property manager, you gain more positive reviews and revenue.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
