What's the one thing you hate about being a landlord?
If you're anything like a typical DIY landlord, handling property maintenance and repairs is certainly not among your favorite activities. Whether you have a unit or a multi-unit building, the maintenance needs of the property can be relentless. When you're not attending to a tenant's repair requests, you're busy inspecting the property to find out where preventive maintenance is needed.
Staying on top of this important obligation calls for proper maintenance coordination. Read on for tips and strategies for coordinating the maintenance of your Puyallup rentals.
1. Understand Landlord and Tenant Maintenance Obligations
You may not take property maintenance seriously if you don't have a clear understanding of your obligations. In Washington State, landlords have a legal responsibility to keep their rental properties in a reasonably habitable state. To keep your property compliant at all times, you cannot afford to slack on maintenance and repairs.
Tenants also have a maintenance obligation, but it includes things like disposing of garbage properly, using plumbing and air conditioning fixtures properly, and fixing things that they damage in the day-to-day use of the property.
2. Establish Open Communication Channels
Maintenance scheduling needs to be routine. Don't wait until something breaks or visibly needs work to act on it. Regular maintenance prevents small issues from becoming costly repairs.
However, routine maintenance alone isn't enough. There are issues that will arise between maintenance schedules, and you'll rely on your tenants to report them.
Establishing a clear communication channel makes it easy for your tenants to report maintenance issues. It also allows you to receive information in real-time and act quickly.
3. Build a Team of Maintenance Professionals
Some landlords do the maintenance and repair work on their own. If you're adequately skilled, there's nothing wrong with handling those jobs. You'll save money that you'd have otherwise paid maintenance contractors.
However, if you don't have enough time on your hands or have multiple properties, streamlining your maintenance workflow can become a challenge. In this case, you're better off assembling a team of property maintenance pros.
Having their numbers on speed dial means you can reach them whenever a need arises. A plumbing emergency should never go unattended regardless of the time it occurs.
Maintenance team coordination shouldn't be hard, but you can delegate the job to a property caretaker.
4. Hire a Property Management Service
Sustaining a high level of efficiency in maintenance is difficult for most DIY landlords who own several properties. It's a full-time job that requires some know-how.
For this reason, it's recommended to outsource the job to a property management company. Most companies offer partial management services, so you can outsource just maintenance and repairs if you don't want a full-service package.
Keep Your Rental Properties in Top Condition With Proper Maintenance Coordination
Maintaining your rental property in Payllup is not just about complying with a legal requirement. It also helps preserve and even increase the value of your property.
These tips will help you ramp up your maintenance coordination efforts but don't shy away from outsourcing the job to professionals.
In Puyallup, don't look beyond SJC Management Group. Our maintenance services are available seven days a week, but we offer other complimentary services, including property marketing and rent collection.
We are only a call away!
