Operating and managing a rental firsthand can be daunting. It may take a lot of time if you acquired the property as the nth owner.
But don’t worry, we’ll help you establish your routine with our checklist below. Doing Maintenance It’s crucial for landlords to keep the properties look as if they’re regularly being taking cared of. Such eventually attracts a number of tenants at a faster pace as compared to rundown and shabby rentals.
The first step in doing maintenance is whether you let another party handle it or you yourself will manage your staff. All in all, the rule of thumb in doing maintenance is to finish it fast and conveniently for the renters.
Get the right contractors Carpenters, plumbers, painters, etc.
This can be a great help especially if you’ll be having repairs. If you got your rental property from an agent, that real estate agent has a lot of contacts and may help you out in connecting with possible contractors.
Running water and safe electricity wiring
Landlords are responsible for providing ample running water. Some even have water tanks with filters to store water if there’s a sudden repair being done by the water provider.
Optionally, water heaters are provided and well-maintained in case tenants want a hot shower. Safe electricity wiring means that there are no jumpers or jamming of wirings that might eventually cause an electrical hazard.
Solid waste management
It’s the landlord’s obligation to provide trash bins accessible to tenants. Maintenance is done by collecting the contents of the trash bins and putting them in one big trash receptacle to be put out on the next collection day. Segregation of trash should also be encouraged to the tenants.
Landscape trimming
Maintenance includes not letting weeds get too long, trimming plants and trees to make them presentable, etc. Property upkeep also includes the cleaning of gutters on a seasonal basis to avoid buildup of debris due to dry leaves and twigs. Clean gutters are a must before the rainy season.
Painting
You can include in your annual maintenance painting the rooms to make them cozier and repainting walls that have chipped due to worn out paint.
Maintaining the common areas
It is the landlord’s responsibility to do daily maintenance on common areas that all tenant’s share inside the property area. The flooring should be clean to avoid hazards such as slipping and tripping.
How Can the Tenants Help in Maintenance and Repairs?
A tenant’s responsibility in the rental property begins with reporting any incident that needs repairing or changing. They’re also responsible to maintain the condition of the things they were given since the beginning of their tenancy.
Should there be damage, for example, appliances, the tenant should report it to the landlord. The landlord will then have the appliance repaired, but depending on neglect or abuse as the reason, the charge will be on the tenant.
The tenants are also obligated to clean their own rooms. This is because it will be a big privacy issue if the property management staff will do so.
Conclusion
Maintenance is a never-ending process as soon as you acquired the rental property. Landlords should coordinate with their tenants as to the responsibilities and regulations so that there’s harmony in keeping the rental clean and orderly.