As a landlord, you have plenty of responsibilities. Many of these responsibilities are to your tenants. You need to maintain a habitable property if you want great tenants to stay with you.
Part of your job is to take care of property maintenance. Complete property maintenance will keep your property in good condition for years to come, which will help you keep your tenants.
Not sure what to do? We're here to offer some maintenance tips for your rental property. Read on to learn more.
1. Routine Maintenance Is Key
Too many landlords underestimate the importance of routine property maintenance. They choose to wait until a tenant moves out or requests maintenance before they take action.
Routine maintenance will save you time, money, and a serious headache. By doing routine maintenance, you're lowering the risk of having serious maintenance problems in the future.
So what should you include in your routine maintenance routine? Make sure to maintain your:
- Outdoor spaces
- Driveway
- HVAC systems
- Plumbing
- Electrical systems
- Floors and walls
You want to make sure that anything that gets routine use is also maintained often. If you don't maintain your HVAC system you could end up with problems during the coldest month of the year. If those problems make your rental property uninhabitable, your tenants may be able to break their lease or you may have to relocate them elsewhere.
If you have plumbing problems due to poor maintenance, you may have to deal with serious flooding. The list goes on.
2. Respond to Requests Right Away
When a tenant does request maintenance, make sure that you're quick to respond. Some landlords even have 24/7 maintenance, which is crucial for maintenance emergencies.
Even small requests are important. While you don't have to take care of things like minor leaks as soon as they happen, you should get to them within a day or so.
First, this prevents expensive problems in the future (just like routine maintenance does). A small leak can turn into mold or water damage before you know it, and it may gave started long before the tenant was able to notice it.
Responding right away will also let your tenants know that you're an attentive landlord. They'll be more likely to stay with you and suggest you to their friends.
3. Consider Hiring Property Management Services
If maintenance seems like a lot of work, especially if you own several rental properties, you'll benefit from a professional property manager.
Property management teams take care of a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that comes with being a landlord. They'll help you attract tenants, manage legal issues, and help arrange property maintenance.
Maintaining a property is hard, but it doesn't have to be if you have the right help.
Use These Complete Property Maintenance Tips
You want to take care of complete property maintenance when you're managing rental properties. Avoid any serious emergencies with these top tips. You'll have a safe and well-maintained property that tenants will love.
Are you looking for a team of expert property managers in Pittsburgh? We want to help! Contact us so we can start working together today.
