If you own and manage a Manhattan Beach rental property, sooner or later, your tenant will call you with a sudden and urgent request for maintenance or repairs. It’s essential to consider the best ways to respond to different tenant requests. If you are handy, there are some things you could perhaps deal with yourself. On the other hand, there are times when endeavoring to fix something yourself could merely make matters worse. To be knowledgeable of when to call in a maintenance tech, here are a few questions you can use to assess the matter.
How urgent is the problem?
If your tenant has contacted you with a repair or maintenance issue, you should first consider how urgent the problem is. Despite the fact that your tenant may be disappointed regarding a faulty running dishwasher or dripping faucet, these are maintenance items that do not need an emergency visit. But, on the contrary, if your tenant reports an issue that would make the property uninhabitable, you should absolutely take immediate action to confront the problem and hassle. Examples are significant water leaks and damage or a non-functioning furnace or air conditioner. In these types of instances, it is in general perfect to seek the opinion and actual help of professionals.
Do you know how to do it yourself?
If you have experience with taking and fulfilling maintenance and repair tasks, you may be the ideal person to acknowledge and respond to a tenant’s request. It is even more so if the task is a comparatively simple one or something you already know how to do. Still, restoring something in an emergency without the proper tools or know-how could spell failure and certain disasters. Knowing this, if you are either not actually sure how to troubleshoot the concern or don’t have time to do it straight away, it’s surely best to send a service technician to take care of it for you.
Is doing it yourself REALLY the best use of your time?
Another very important question to consider is whether going over to your rental property and completing repair and maintenance tasks is the best use of your time. Every hour you spend on property repairs and maintenance is an hour you are not spending on those other more vital things, whether managing your investments or spending quality time with loved ones. If you check how much your time costs, it may be more economical to hire a service tech instead.
Do the repairs require a licensed professional?
Quite a lot of maintenance and repair items are practically light, do-it-yourself tasks, for example replacing filters or cleaning the refrigerator coils. In contrast, others may need the services of a licensed professional. Such tasks are either too dangerous or difficult for untrained Manhattan Beach property managers to do themselves. Electrical issues, major plumbing problems, and troubles with an HVAC unit should all be turned over to a professional service technician.
Is regular maintenance being scheduled?
To keep your rental property in good condition, you have to make it a point to ensure that regular maintenance is finished. If your tenant seems unable or unwilling to help you with some routine maintenance tasks, you will either have to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. That is precisely why proactive maintenance is one of the efficient ways to dodge those late-night emergency calls and keep an eye out for your property’s condition. By maintaining and replacing things before they break or wear out, you can reduce your maintenance and repair costs and keep your tenants blissfully content to boot.
If property maintenance and repairs are not your precious part of owning a rental home, we can help! At Real Property Management California Coast, we put into service a proactive approach to property maintenance. We, moreover, have access to a network of quality service providers who can keep your property in very good condition for less than you’d actually pay on your own. Contact us online to learn more!
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