Preventative Maintenance Tips for your Rental Properties
If you’re a landlord or real estate manager and intend to rent out your property, maintaining your rental property is crucial. Proper preventative maintenance is a huge responsibility that keeps the tenants happy and satisfied. The property maintenance ensures that your property is in good shape and your investment is safe for the long term.
When you don’t take care of seasonal preventative maintenance, things become easier to fall by the wayside. Most property managers and landlords rely on tenants to report a maintenance concern which doesn’t work well to protect your rental property from seasonal effects.
Preventative maintenance tends to keep your rental properties in optimal condition, both in comfort and function. Many tasks lie under property maintenance, including pest control, exterior maintenance, interior maintenance, trash, recycling, safety checks, and other seasonal preventions. Depending on the size of your rental property, you can handle the preventative maintenance by yourself or hire a professional property manager to share your burden.
If you have invested in real estate, you need to pay special attention to your property maintenance because it can protect your valuable investment and foster tenant satisfaction. In this article, we’ve compiled a complete checklist of preventative property maintenance to help you prevent your rental property from damaging. We will provide an ultimate guide explaining seasonal tasks to keep your rental property in good shape.
Importance of Rental Property Maintenance Checklist for Landlords and Property Managers
Before diving into a seasonal maintenance checklist, it is necessary to know why landlords and property managers need a rental property maintenance checklist. If you want your real estate investment continues to pay off every year, you need to ensure the proper maintenance of your rental property. Rental property owners can keep their properties in great condition and tenants happy by investing in routine property maintenance.
Routine maintenance saves property owners from emergency repairs. These repairs are a costly setback and a frustrating hassle for landlords. Moreover, the property maintenance checklist differentiates between tenant and landlord property maintenance responsibilities. The property owners are responsible for maintaining healthy and safe standards for tenants.
Landscape Maintenance
Spruce up your landscape to increase your curb appeal. The Spring season comes with beautiful blooms. So having a well-managed landscape can increase your tenant’s contentment. Make sure you spot check the lawn, and clear any limbs from the landscape to avoid trips. Clear branches and shrubs so the critters couldn’t find an easy path to nest in the attic. Lawn maintenance prevents your roofs and slides from moisture damage. Over-seeding, aeration, weeding grass, and pruning trees and shrubs can help to look your lawn more attractive. Fertilizing is also important for landscaping. Fertilization and aeration are necessary to jumpstart grass growth. As they help return vital nutrients to the soil and grow a beautiful lawn.
Clear the Gutters
Storms can fill the gutters with debris that forces water to back up, leading to leaks and roof damage. That’s why checking the gutters before and after the wet season is compulsory to avoid any damage. Landlords can suffer expensive damage and repairs if gutters aren’t cleaned. You can hire an expert to clean gutters if debris is too difficult to remove.
Inspect the Roof and Attic
The property’s roofs regulate the interior temperature and maintain energy efficiency. At the start of the year, make sure that shingles are undamaged by debris. Repair any roof-related issue immediately to prevent leakage in the rainy season. If the attic is left unchecked, it can result in potentially costly maintenance issues. Inspect the evidence of molds, roof leaks, damage to beams, or any openings from where pests can enter to property.
Inspect HVAC and Change air filters
Check your property’s heating and cooling system to ensure it is cleaned and in working order. Call a licensed technician to inspect the HVAC, and handle any seasonal service. You can ask the technician to replace AC filters and check AC coils and belts. Having your HVAC system checked regularly, can help your system run smoothly and prevent future problems.
Inspect Sprinkler System
As the summer season starts, check the sprinkler system to prevent landscape damage and water usage, and reduce standing water. Service your irrigation system to avoid bigger issues. The first heat of summer is a great time to program sprinklers to keep the landscape looking fresh.
Pest Control
Some pests like wasps, spiders, mosquitoes, and ants are small but can cause big problems. Check your property regularly for pest and do any necessary treatments. Cover large holes with hardware cloth and caulk small holes to prevent critters from invading your rental property. You can use solid aluminum flashing to prevent stronger animals like squirrels and raccoons from entering your property. If you catch these problems before they become infestations, it can save you a lot of time and money.
Exterior Checks
Make sure to walk the exterior of the home to resolve inexpensive maintenance issues before they cause expensive problems. Check your decks, entryways, and patios have proper support and railing. Sealing and caulking openings are the best way to prevent your property from moisture damage. Openings in the unit allow water to get in and cause cracks and mold in the property. If you see deteriorating paint or siding, don’t wait until its damaged and dingy. A simple fix such as power washing, or replacing the siding and paint can help extend the life of your home and improve its curb appeal.
Re-caulk Showers and Bathtubs
An important step to preventing leaks and possible mold growth is to inspect your caulking and grout. Cracks or breaks in the tub or shower, can be a breeding ground for mold, and water damage is an expensive thing to fix. Once you notice any deterioration it is important to take action, and re-caulk immediately.
Final Thoughts
Preventative maintenance is one of the most important task for property managers and landlords to keep their rental property in good condition, but is easily overlooked. Life gets busy, and can bog down your schedule, which inevitably will turn to neglecting these problems above. Why not let a property manager handle these preventative maintenance and inspections for you? At Real Property Management Prestige our team of professional property managers, handymen, and contractors can help you avoid some of these common issues before they become big ticket items! If you are interested in learning about a better way to maintain your rental property, contact Real Property Management Prestige today.
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