Maintenance is Important
When working with a tenant in Mesa, accidents or issues are bound to happen when parts of your rental home will need repairing. Property maintenance will directly impact your property’s long term value and the relationship with your tenant.
Neglecting your duty to repair or avoiding a routine upkeep can lead to costly damage, code violations, or potentially tenant turnover. However, if you stay on top of maintenance, your home will stay in good condition, repair costs will be lowered over time, and your tenant will be more likely to continue living in your home.
Our job is to help explain and break down the aspects of what property maintenance involves and how to stay organized, no matter the type of home you manage.
Understanding Rental Property Maintenance
Property maintenance includes everything a property needs to be functional, safe, and appealing. This encompasses replacing air filters or fixing air conditioning units. It covers routine upkeep, seasonal repairs, preventative inspections, and any potential emergency repairs. By staying on top of repairs, landlords reduce the risk of larger maintenance bills and receive fewer tenant complaints.
Maintenance can be separated into two general categories: scheduled or proactive maintenance. Scheduled includes things such as HVAC or landscape care while proactive includes fixing broken faucets or water heaters.
Legal Responsibilities
Performing property maintenance isn’t just to be kind to your tenant. It helps you stay compliant and avoid legal problems. Landlords have many responsibilities to maintain a habitable living condition. Under Arizona law, landlords have many legal duties to keep their property safe. These include making all the necessary repairs to keep the property livable, complying with building and health codes, keeping common areas clean and safe, maintaining essential systems, and ensuring that appliances and utilities work properly.
In the Phoenix area, one special requirement is air conditioning. Because of Arizona’s extreme heat, landlords must provide adequate cooling systems. The local rules state that indoor temperatures must be around 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Failing to meet requirements can result in fines, lawsuits, or withheld rent. Make sure you are aware of Arizona’s laws and any building specific requirements.
Types of Rental Property Maintenance
Earlier, we briefly touched on the types of property maintenance, but now we will go more in depth on what each of them actually involves. To manage your property effectively, you will need to understand that not all maintenance is the same and the role that the different types of maintenance have in keeping your tenants and investments protected.
Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance includes the tasks you perform on a regular basis to keep the property in good condition. This may involve mowing the lawn, testing smoke alarms, and servicing appliances. This will help prevent any larger problems in the future and show your tenant that you care about maintaining the property. Routine maintenance will be different for every home, depending on what it needs.
Seasonal Maintenance
Each season will come with its own unique maintenance needs. This will all depend on the weather and conditions that come with this season. In Mesa, for example, summer may require more work with cooling systems and potential sun damage to outside appliances, but winter may need more work towards insulation.
Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance focuses on identifying and then fixing an issue before they turn into bigger and more costly repairs. Some examples of this include inspecting the roof after harsh weather, checking for leaking pipes, and cleaning out dryer vents. Staying on top of these problems will save money and reduce the chance of an emergency.
Emergency Maintenance
Emergencies are bound to happen. Emergency issues require fast response times, especially when the tenants safety is put at risk or property damage could be fatal. Examples of potential emergencies could be gas leaks, water damage, and electrical failures. Make sure you have an emergency plan and that your tenants know how to contact you after hours. You can also work with a property manager that offers 24/7 emergency support.
Best Practices for Rental Property Maintenance
Staying ahead of maintenance tasks is one of the best ways to protect your investments and your tenants. To make this process more efficient and manageable, here are some strategies to save time, money, and effort in the future.
1. Create a Maintenance Calendar
Creating this calendar will help you plan and organize tasks throughout the year. By scheduling all the different types of maintenance, you will avoid any last minute rushing to handle repairs. Utilize digital tools or apps to set reminders for tasks. This strategy will help keep you organized and also guarantee that nothing will be overlooked.
2. Document Everything
Keeping a detailed record of every maintenance related activity, repairs, and tenant communication is the key to have accountability and legal protection. This includes documenting each task, the dates, costs, and any outside party that was involved. Doing this will create a clear history of the property’s condition, which can help in legal disputes or selling the property in the future.
3. Know When to Call a Professional
Some problems can be handled by the landlords themselves but others should be handled by a licensed professional. For example, any electrical hazards, major plumbing repairs, or roof repairs should be left to someone in that field of expertise. Being knowledgeable about when to hire a contractor saves you from dangerous repair attempts and can ensure that repairs are done correctly, avoiding extra expenses.
Be Smart About Your Rental Property Maintenance
There are real benefits to staying on top of the maintenance in your rental home. You will avoid expensive repairs, keep tenants happy, and protect the value of your property. Having a clear plan and the right support will make the job easier, more manageable, and more profitable.
Here at Stone Rent – Real Estate Property Management LLC, we want to help give you the best advice for property maintenance and work to help with any repairs so your rental property can grow in value and appeal in the coming future.
