No landlord or property owner ever wants that middle-of-the-night phone call with an emergency on their property. The furnace is out. There's water pouring in through the roof.
Renters get frustrated, and emergency repairs are often costly.
Using a preventative maintenance schedule helps keep all the systems in your Nashville rental units in good working order to help avoid those unwelcome emergencies.
Read on to learn more about creating a preventative maintenance schedule for your property.
Know Local Laws for Landlords
Before you consider how to set up your maintenance schedule, it's important to know the local laws and regulations for your rental property.
One advantage of having a property manager for your rental units is that they keep up to date on local regulations. These laws and regulations may factor into your maintenance schedule so you don't get fined or cited.
What Is a Preventative Maintenance Schedule?
There are several types of maintenance a landlord or property owner might face with their rental unit. You know about the emergency call that requires urgent maintenance.
There are also seasonal maintenance tasks for things like snow removal or summer mowing.
There's also preventative maintenance. This type of maintenance works to keep the property functioning well, so you can avoid those emergency calls.
Preventative maintenance provides a systematic approach to performing regular maintenance tasks. By doing this, you ensure your property systems are always in good working order and maintain property value.
What to Consider When Making a Preventative Maintenance Schedule
As you prepare to create a maintenance schedule, there are a few important things to consider.
First, consider the size and type of property. This will help you to determine how often you'll need to visit the property.
The age of the property and the systems in the property will help to determine how often preventative maintenance will be needed. Older properties often require more frequent attention.
Budget is also an important consideration. You also want to consider your tenants and how much your coming to the property is disruptive to them.
Creating a Property Maintenance Schedule
Once you've considered those factors, then you can set about creating your schedule. Consider the elements of the property that might need preventative care, like a furnace, AC, or roof and gutters.
Consider manufacturer-recommended care and establish the intervals for maintenance. As you consider intervals, consider:
- Equipment's age
- Frequency of usage
- Conditions under which it operates
Then begin putting a schedule in place for addressing the maintenance. You can do this by using a calendar or digital format. Using technology can mean that your maintenance team could also view and facilitate maintenance tasks. They can schedule maintenance and provide follow-up reports.
If property repairs are needed, those can be added right to the schedule.
Maintaining Your Preventative Maintenance Schedule
As part of maintaining your schedule, you also need a plan for notifying tenants that you'll be on the property to do work. You want to give plenty of notice so you create minimal disruption.
You also want to monitor and continue to train maintenance staff to ensure they are following the schedule and the work is getting done.
Keep Your Nashville Property Problem Free
A preventative maintenance schedule can help avoid unwanted emergencies on your rental property. It also helps to maintain your property value so you can get the best rental rates.
If you own a Nashville property and need a property manager to help you establish a preventative maintenance schedule, we should talk. Contact us today so we can discuss more about your property care needs.
