Property maintenance can be difficult to track. This can be made more difficult by the complex or rocky homeowner and renter relationships. No matter what your situation is, it is vital to ensure that your tenant’s needs are met, despite any possible obstacles. For example, sometimes your tenant might be nervous to reach out to you about maintenance concerns for various reasons.
Maintenance issues not only affect the quality of life of your tenant but the continued success of your property now and in the future! Avoiding reported (and non-reported) maintenance issues, can not only cause a grift in your tenants and your relationship – and also property damage! To streamline your process, we’ve compiled a list of the top five risks that you should be checking for in order to keep your tenant safe and your property live-in ready.
- Mold
Mold isn’t just gross — it can also cause extensive health issues with prolonged exposure. Mold damages your property … plus, it stinks! Often mold growth can occur under the radar of your tenant, and they often won’t notice it until it starts to smell. This can be especially common in frequently trafficked or moist areas, like a shower or sink grout. To avoid this, make time with your tenants to enter their residence and check for mold in any areas that might be prone to moisture, like the shower!
- Fire and Carbon Monoxide Detecters
This might be one of the most important items to check frequently. If one of these devices malfunctions, it can cause serious bodily harm and irreparable damage to your property. It can be easy to forget routine maintenance on these. We recommend using a planner or calendar reminder to keep this important task top of mind. During each check, be sure to evaluate the proper function and ensure that they have fully charged batteries.
- Hot Water
Nothing ruins your day like really needing a shower and having the hot water run out too early, except for maybe when you’re running late and the shower is taking an eternity to heat up. Either way, ample access to a liberal supply of hot water is necessary to keep the relationship between you and your tenants amicable. Check-in with your tenant to ensure that your water heater is working properly, and schedule routine service checks every year to prolong the life of your device.
- Pests
As the weather changes throughout the year, insects and small animals will inevitably try to wriggle their way onto your property and become your tenant’s newest roommate! Bug and pest infestations can happen to anyone and are not usually the result of misuse or neglect of your property. Let your tenant know of the risk and check-in routinely to ensure that they are still having a spic-and-span experience in the property. If you notice pest issues, contact your tenant and make a plan for consistent pest prevention.
- Small annoyances
A squeaky door, a drawer that doesn’t sit right, a dryer with a broken belt that screams like a teenage girl in a horror film. All these issues seem small. They’re probably small enough for a tenant to not feel the need to reach out to you about them. However, these kinds of small annoyances are what define the time a tenant lives on your property. Preemptively handling maintenance concerns can reinforce the confidence that your tenant has in you as a manager, and can strengthen your working relationship.
Bottom line: The expert team at PMI Aspire is specifically trained to help you navigate the process and ensure that your tenant is both safe and happy in the home. Whether you are new to the rental market, or not yet listing your home for sale, we can help you through each step of the process — from start to sign off! Contact us today at (720)-928-9955 to start your process.
