When the rental market slows down, property managers tend to focus on other activities – such as marketing. Although attracting tenants is always important, one thing that should not be neglected is routine maintenance. Although most rental managers are responsive to tenants’ service requests, routine maintenance may eliminate the need for many of the calls in the first place. Here are the various types of maintenance rental managers should be aware of.
Routine Maintenance
At most rental properties, routine maintenance should already be scheduled at regular intervals, such as daily, weekly, or monthly cycles. Cleaning and landscaping are some of the activities that should be performed by staff or contractors.
Preventive Maintenance
This type of maintenance is often neglected by property managers. Connecticut real estate rental companies should ensure their staff takes care of these issues promptly. Activities such as changing filters and light bulbs when needed can avoid major problems from occurring.
Corrective Maintenance
This is the most common type of maintenance. It occurs when personnel is called out to fix an issue that a tenant reports. These problems are inevitable; there will always be something that breaks down or causes a nuisance to the tenant. Some of these can be avoided with preventive maintenance.
Cosmetic Maintenance
This often occurs after a tenant has moved out and the rental needs to be updated in order to be move-in ready for a new tenant. This may include a fresh coat of paint or new carpet. The idea is to make the units more attractive for prospective tenants and also increase their profitability.
Deferred Maintenance
These are repairs that are not emergency situations but should be performed in the near future. Some property managers may wait to repair these issues due to a lack of immediate funds. However, should these issues be delayed for too long, they could turn into major problems.
At RPM Greater New London, we make maintenance a priority.