There is a lot to keep in mind when managing properties, from collecting rent to screening tenants. Property maintenance is another big part of owning or managing a rental property. Keeping things up-to-date and working well helps to keep the value of the property high and tenants safe and happy. 

While emergency maintenance is always important, preventative maintenance is a good way to avoid minor problems from becoming major.

Keep reading to find out more about preventative maintenance and how to keep the properties you manage in top-notch condition.

Preventative Home Maintenance Services

General maintenance can be easy to forget about, especially if you’re in charge of multiple properties. But forgetting to perform maintenance and general repairs could lead to major issues in the future. 

If you have a preventative maintenance plan in place, you’ll know exactly when to go and check on your tenants to make sure mold isn’t growing in the bathroom, the fire alarms are working, and all the pipes and faucets are functioning properly. 

Forgetting to check on these things can lead to emergency maintenance issues, which might increase insurance premiums or lead to negative reviews from tenants and property owners.

Having a consistent plan and system in place for dealing with routine and preventative maintenance has tons of benefits for you, your team, and your tenants. 

One person on a ladder painting a wall while another person holds the ladder

Listed below are some of the main reasons to create a preventative maintenance plan:

  • If a property is well taken care of and maintained carefully, the value of the property is less likely to decrease. You can also keep rent rates relatively high because tenants have nothing to complain about. 
  • Emergency issues can be costly, and sometimes insurance won’t cover everything. By preventing maintenance issues from becoming emergencies, you can save money and make sure investment pieces like refrigerators and air conditioning units are lasting as long as they should. 
  • Not only can emergency issues be expensive, but they can also be extremely time-consuming. A burst pipe means calling a plumber and a handyman, spending extra time at the property, and communicating with vendors, owners, and tenants. Spending a little time and effort every month can save you time in the long run. 
  • Tenants will stay happy when they’re living in a well-maintained rental property. This will keep the tenant turnover rate low, which in turn brings in consistent and reliable income every month for you and your clients. Plus, you save money on marketing a property to fill vacancies and you can keep track of regular wear and tear.

Property Maintenance Plan: Things to Keep in Mind

Creating a preventative maintenance plan or strategy is key to successfully managing multiple properties.

Find out about the critical aspects of creating a strategy for property maintenance below:

1. Communicate

Communication is key for any business owner. With property maintenance, you need to be able to communicate clearly with tenants, owners, and vendors. Being straightforward and clear about everything will make issues less likely to occur.

Two people sitting at a table having a casual conversation over coffee

Communication includes quickly responding to all maintenance requests from tenants, giving all essential details to the repair people, telling the owner how much the maintenance will cost, and scheduling a time for maintenance with vendors and tenants. 

2. Be Open to Feedback 

Make sure to check in with the residents of the property and ask if they are happy with the maintenance process and the state of their rental. When you go to a tenant directly and ask if they’re happy with the state of things, you show that you care about their feedback. 

Plus, any negative comments that might have otherwise been written in a review can now be fielded by you. You can always learn from feedback and improve the maintenance process for tenants in the future. 

3. Create a Workflow

To keep up with all of the moving parts of a maintenance request, it’s important to manage your workflow. You can choose to use third-party software for maintenance task management or create your own system.

Just make sure everything, including receipts and correspondence, is kept organized so you know what step in the process is being done. Plus, keeping track of the money involved in your property business will make everything easier once you have to file taxes. 

Two people shaking hands in front of a house

Move-out Maintenance

When a tenant moves out of a rental property, it’s an opportunity to go in and take care of big and small maintenance issues before the next renter moves in.

Conducting a move-out inspection with the tenant will allow you to take note of any issues that need to be addressed and fix them quickly before marketing or showing the property. 

Check for small things like scuffs on the walls and bigger things like functioning appliances and mold growth. Any large repairs or changes that need to be made will also allow you to keep the cost of rent where it is or even raise the price. 

A unit with a broken fridge and walls that need to be repainted will be less attractive to prospective tenants, leading to longer periods of vacancy. Having walkthrough inspections and move-out maintenance be part of your maintenance workflow will streamline all your rental processes.

Property Maintenance Lists by Season

When it comes to managing multiple properties, you’ll need to take care of more than just spring cleaning.

Having a maintenance checklist for the beginning of each season will allow you to keep track of fixes and preventions specific to certain weather conditions. It will also keep you out of your tenants’ hair for the majority of the year. 

Listed below are some tasks you can add to your seasonal checklists: 

House and trees covered in snow

Winter

  • Check on furnaces and heaters. Change filters, clean vents, and make sure everything is functioning property for the cold months ahead.
  • Check on empty units. Leaving the heat on in cold climates is important to stop pipes from freezing. Make sure snow isn’t piling up on balconies or blocking exits that other people may still be using. 
  • Check that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are still working.
  • Clean gutters and make sure the roofs are sound. Any small holes will need to be patched to avoid leaks. 
  • Check on water pipes near the outside of the property. Insulate any that are not already protected to prevent pipes from freezing. 
  • Provide tenants with shovels and salt to make sure walkways are kept clear and safe. If there are a lot of stairs leading up to a unit, consider installing mats to prevent people from slipping.
  • Make sure all staircases are structurally sound and banisters or handrails are safe to use. 
  • Trim any bushes are trees that are at risk of falling during storms or due to heavy snow buildup.
  • If there are any pools or outdoor water fixtures on the property, make sure to drain or prepare them for the winter, depending on your location. 

Spring

  • Check roofs and ceilings for signs of leaking or water damage.
  • Check on heating and cooling systems. Change any necessary filters. 
  • Check for weather damage on other parts of the property, like balconies and porches, windows, and doors. 
  • Check gutters for blocks from leftover leaves or debris from the colder seasons.
  • Look for signs of mold or mildew, especially in the kitchen, bathroom, and around windows.
  • Consider adding some landscaping for the spring and summer months. 
Person in a large white kitchen

Summer

  • Check on plumbing. 
  • Make sure air conditioning units are working properly. Swap out filters, service, or replace the unit if necessary.
  • Check on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure the unit has an unexpired fire extinguisher. 
  • Clean the windows and gutters.
  • Replace or install window screens that may have been damaged during winter storms.
  • Check for holes in the windows, doors, and walls to make sure pests like bugs and mice cannot find ways into the rental unit. 
  • Clean up any common areas or outdoor spaces. This may include washing driveways, decks, or patios, mowing the lawn, and cleaning up dead branches or pruning bushes. 
  • If your property includes any communal areas, like in a large apartment building, clean any carpets or furniture. 

Fall

  • Check the roofs.
  • Check heating systems are ready to be turned on. If there are any fireplaces on the premises, make sure those are cleaned and tested as well. 
  • For larger buildings, go over the safety procedures and protocol in case of fires or other emergencies. Although you may not changes these procedures year to year, it’s always good to remind tenants what they should do in case of emergency. 
  • Clean the gutters.
  • Rake leaves, check on plants, and remove any that will die as the weather cools down. 
  • Replace trash or recycling bins being used by all tenants if any have been broken or damaged in the last year.
Roof of a house against a blue sky at dusk

Bottom Line

Although you could consider taking care of all the maintenance yourself or hiring contractors every few months when a problem arises or it’s time to check on your properties, it is probably most effective to hire a regular maintenance technician.

This way, you’ll know when someone is doing routine maintenance and you’ll know who to call when there is a maintenance emergency. Hopefully, these tips will help you keep emergencies to a minimum and your clients and tenants happy!