How To Navigate Property Maintenance
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”12405″ img_size=”1100×400″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Let’s face it – one of the primary roles of a property management company is to assist in increasing the value of the properties being managed. The chief way of accomplishing this is through regular maintenance. When tenants request assistance, the turn-around-time needs to be as quick as possible. Competent management companies accomplish this through the use of their relationships with internal staff as well as the trusted vendors at their disposal.
Here are some tried and true strategies for making sure your property maintenance happens as smoothly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible.
Set up a Software Solution for tracking maintenance requests
If you’re looking to hire a property management company, you should ask them during the interview process how they track incoming maintenance requests. The best solution (and the one that tends to save the most time and money for all parties involved) is to have a software solution solidly in place. Making sure you have a system at your disposal that allows for online access to request submission and long term tracking for management will provide the transparency you need to allow for a documented flow of communication.
Make sure there is a plan for both after-hours and emergency requests
All too often, the procedure for after-hours and emergency maintenance requests is dealt with on an ad-hoc basis. If a management company doesn’t have a protocol in place for such requests, the efficiency with which the situation is handled can be hit-or-miss. Don’t leave your ability to deal with maintenance issues up to chance. Just because there is a go-to maintenance team for normal weekday hours, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you’ll have the same team at night, during the weekend, or immediately in the case of a life-threatening situation.
Figure out what preventive measures are in place for maintenance
The best defense is a good offense. If you don’t know what you’re doing to prevent maintenance issues from cropping up in the first place, scheduling regular maintenance to check for potential issues is a great place to start. If you’re in a position of anticipation rather than reaction, you’ll find you’re always ahead of the curve. Anticipating future issues allows you to anticipate future costs, as well as to pinpoint underlying issues much faster when they do occur. Regularly scheduled preventive maintenance is as cornerstone of good property management.
Is there a procedure in place for when and how maintenance contractors enter properties?
The last thing any resident wants is unannounced company. Having a public statement of operations regarding what circumstances must be in place for a contractor to ask to enter a property will alleviate any misunderstandings down the road.
In the end everything boils down to transparency and procedure. If both your residents and maintenance crews know what to expect, future tensions can be greatly alleviated, and actual maintenance issues can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. If you have any questions about maintenance for your HOA or commercial property, please give us a call at: (240) 349-2117. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta h2=”HAVE MORE QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP WITH YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY OR COMMUNITY?”]
Fill out the below form or give us a call (240) 349-2117 or check out our contact page
[/vc_cta][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]
Oops! We could not locate your form.
[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column] [/vc_column][/vc_row]