Maintaining your rental property is an important part of being a landlord for two major reasons. First, it keeps your tenants happy, and happy tenants will pay their rent on time, help you take care of the property, and be more willing to renew their leases. Second, maintaining your property increases the return on your investment because it protects the condition of your home and increases its value. When you get a request for maintenance, there are a few things you need to make sure you’re doing.
Make Maintenance a Priority
Respond quickly to your tenant’s request for maintenance. Not only will this show them that you’re committed to providing a safe and comfortable living environment, you’ll also protect your home from further damage. If your tenant reports a leak under the sink and you wait two months to fix it; you could have wood rot and mold to deal with as well as the plumbing problem. Tenants need to know how to report maintenance issues to you; whether it’s with an online report or a phone call. Once you are alerted to the problem, take action.
Communicate During Repairs
Stay in touch with your tenants while repairs are being made. You don’t want to surprise them with a vendor showing up unexpectedly. Coordinate with your tenants so that they are not inconvenienced and talk to them when you’re scheduling the necessary repairs. If there’s going to be a delay in getting things fixed for any reasons, make sure you let the tenants know. As long as they are kept in the loop during the process, good tenants will be cooperative and understanding.
Work with Reliable and Responsible Vendors
Put together a list of vendors who provide high quality, fast, and affordable work. You should only hire licensed, insured, and bonded vendors and contractors. If you hire someone who isn’t licensed, you’re taking on a lot of liability and putting yourself at risk. After the work has been completed at your property, follow up with your tenants and make sure that everything was fixed properly. It’s also a good idea to find out if there’s anything else that needs attention at the home.
Maintaining your property is something that needs to be taken seriously by landlords. If you have any questions about how to respond to repair requests or where to find the best vendors, please contact us at Dave Poletti & Associates.
