Your Ultimate Guide to Property Maintenance Services
No doubt property management is a productive career, but it’s a demanding one too. One of the most critical aspects of being a commercial or residential property manager is to ensure proper maintenance of the property.
Whether you manage multi-family residential properties or commercial retail centers, professional property maintenance should help enhance and preserve the value of those properties and generate a good return. This guide will take you through everything you need to know about property maintenance.
What is Property Maintenance?
Simply put, property maintenance involves taking every possible step to ensure that your clients’ properties are in a decent condition. The service typically includes maintaining the plumbing, lighting, heating system, and pool.
If you’re a property manager in New York, New Jersey and Florida, you’ll need to create a maintenance policy that defines and discusses how you plan to address the repair needs. Then, develop a network of bonded, licensed, and fully insured contractors with a proven record of reliable work and competitive pricing.
Depending on the scope of maintenance work, you’ll need to assign work to contractors, in-house employees, and handymen. To make sure that all maintenance needs are known and clear, you must also establish efficient communication channels for contractors and tenants.
Tips to Ensure Effective Property Maintenance
Create a Schedule for Property Maintenance
When you create your maintenance policy, define and include a maintenance schedule by developing a list of maintenance jobs that will be performed on a monthly, seasonal, or yearly basis. This should not only reduce the likelihood of unexpected costly repairs but also extend the lifespan of your rental units.
Stay Responsive to Tenants’ Requests
Your tenants should proactively forward requests for routine or urgent maintenance. The efficiency of your property maintenance will depend on a communication system that you provide them with and how responsive you are to their requests.
The most efficient method is to have a property management tool in place that allows tenants to generate tickers for maintenance needs. Alternatively, you may allow them to communicate via phone, email, or even social media. As soon as you receive a request, address them in a timely manner.
Automate the Handling of Expenses
Choosing a property management software over traditional methods comes with several other benefits. The best software solutions have built-in accounting systems that will automate various tasks associated with expense tracking and payments to contractors. Manually handling these tasks can result in delays and mistakes. A reliable property management software will not only eliminate these issues but also save you a lot of time.
Outsource Some Maintenance Work
Handling maintenance on your own sometimes seems unmanageable. To avoid being overwhelmed by the maintenance work, consider outsourcing part of the maintenance work to a property management company. This should allow you to focus on more important duties, such as finding tenants.
Property Maintenance In New York, New Jersey, and Florida
If you do decide to outsource some of the property maintenance work, choose Milbrook Properties Ltd., an experienced property management company helping property owners manage and maintain their assets. Whether you own commercial retail centers or multi-family residential properties, our qualified team will oversee all aspects of the maintenance work.