You understand the importance of maintenance coordination plans if you're a rental property owner. The two most common tenant complaints deal with simple communication.
If communication is an issue, it can hurt the property owner's investment. No one will recommend a place with rental maintenance that left them without air conditioning for a week in the summer.
There are many different strategies to streamline maintenance issue reporting. All of them are more efficient than phone calls. Let's take a quick look at some strategies for management-to-maintenance coordination.
7 Maintenance Coordination Strategies for Your Rental Properties
Whether you're a single-property landlord or going through a property management company, maintenance coordination is vital. There are many different ways to do this, and here are seven of the best strategies to use.
Maintaining your investment in an efficient manner is of the utmost importance. Your tenants are your customers, after all. Word of mouth is a big determining factor in gaining new customers, and tenants will have something to say if they are not happy with their living conditions.
Do It Yourself
If you want something done right, you can do it yourself.
Load your truck with every wrench, plunger, and PVC pipe fitting known to man, and get ready to handle your investment the right way - your way.
Handwritten Maintenance Tickets
If you prefer using carbon copy maintenance tickets, there's nothing wrong with that. The upside is that you'll have a record of any maintenance performed on a specific unit over a period of time. The downside is that this method is pretty clunky.
Maintain a Preventative Maintenance Schedule
A large majority of rental property maintenance should be preventative maintenance. Some tasks need action on a routine basis. Some standard preventative maintenance (PM) tasks include:
- Changing air filters
- Landscaping
- Proper winterization
- HVAC inspections
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detector inspections
- Sidewalk or pavement sealing
Use Internal Software
There is software that can help a property manager put maintenance coordination strategies in place. This software enables employees to track when and where maintenance is complete.
Tenant Ticketing Software
Tenants can submit maintenance tickets online, as well. This strategy has pros and cons like the others - you may have to use a "don't cry wolf" policy.
Keep a Handyman on Call
Call the local fix-it-all handyman whenever there's a problem. Hang on to the receipts and go from there!
Hire a Property Management Service
Property management services are going to take care of everything listed above. The key is choosing the right one.
It Makes Sense to Hire a Service
If you are an investor with many properties, it makes sense to hire a property management service. They will handle your maintenance coordination needs.
A tenant's experience is vital to gaining return business and preserving the property's reputation. Maintenance coordination is the single most important aspect of the property management business.
