You must know by now that as professional Visalia property managers, we do more than collect rent. We also work hard to find reliable tenants, keep your rental property attractive to those tenants, and ensure that those residents are having such a great experience, that they renew their lease agreements and stay in place year after year.
We keep you compliant with all of California’s strict rental laws. We manage showings and screenings. We track income and expenses and we conduct inspections.
One of the most important things we do is maintenance.
There’s a lot more to renting out a home than rent collection. You know that if you’ve been managing your own home. You also know that if you’re a real estate investor who leaves all of these details to their Visalia property manager.
We’re focused on maintenance in today’s blog, and sharing essential maintenance tips to deliver peace of mind, cost-effective repairs, and ultimately, the protection of your asset’s value and condition.
Save Money and Avoid Deferred Maintenance
You have to take a proactive approach to the maintenance that’s needed at your property. No one wants to pay more than they have to, but think about the long term when you’re deciding on necessary repairs and potential upgrades and updates. If you invest in durable, high quality products and services now, you’ll reduce maintenance costs over the long term.
Labor is really expensive, we get it. However, you don’t want to avoid using a licensed and insured vendor. Protect yourself and your investment property.
The most expensive maintenance is the maintenance you don’t do. Deferred maintenance is a huge problem. Ignoring mold. Ignoring leaks. Ignoring any of those seemingly minor repair needs will only be more expensive and disruptive. Don’t defer the repairs that are needed. And, make sure your tenants are reporting things promptly.
This is a good reason to conduct an annual maintenance walk-through or inspection. You need to know when things are in need of repairs.
HVAC Maintenance Tips: Take a Preventative Approach
Maintaining your property means maintaining its systems. This can get expensive, which is why preventative maintenance can have such an impact. Here’s a test: think about where you’ll spend the most money if you have to make a repair or replacement.
You’ll likely think about the HVAC system. This is where the heating, the air conditioning, and the ventilation comes together to provide pleasant temperatures and climate control in your property. When there’s a problem, it’s usually an expensive problem.
Preventative maintenance is your best resource when it comes to heating and cooling. Hire an HVAC technician to inspect and service your system annually. This will help you maintain it, and it will tell you if there are potential problems to begin planning for.
You want to keep expensive systems like the HVAC running as efficiently and effectively as possible. Preventative maintenance can reduce repair costs. You won’t have to worry about spending thousands of dollars to replace your HVAC system too soon. Any potential problems will be detected early, and you’ll increase the life expectancy of your system.
Water Issues: Why You Should Make Your Plumbing a Priority
We don’t like water problems when it comes to homes. Water leaks and even slow drips in Visalia rental properties are never good situations. These plumbing problems can cause a lot of damage quickly. Left ignored, water problems can lead to rot and mildew and even mold. All of that leads to major headaches and more expensive repair bills.
So, don’t ignore the small leaks. Inspect your plumbing whenever you can.
You’ll want to look under sinks during your move-in and move-out inspections and any inspections you do while a tenant is in place. In the winter, make sure you’re blowing out your sprinklers and insulating any irrigation systems you have outside. Drain your water heater every year or two and always check it for rust or wear.
Visalia Tenant Partnerships Can Improve Maintenance Outcomes
Maintaining your investment is largely your responsibility. You will have to budget for repairs and replacements, unless the tenant causes damage. It’s up to you to provide a rental home that’s safe, habitable, and well-maintained.
While your responsibility is to maintain the home for your tenants, you can still set up some expectations for those tenants. You’ll want to partner with your Visalia tenants when it comes to taking care of the home. You can expect them to:
- Report maintenance needs right away. This will avoid larger expenses and bigger problems.
- Change out air filters routinely.
- Keep the home clean and less attractive to pests and rodents.
- Be available when vendors need to come and do some work.
- Communicate with you about needs and problems.
Share your expectations with tenants before they sign the lease and move into the home, especially around maintenance. Make sure your process for reporting maintenance is clear and easy. Emergencies, for example, will always require a phone call. Routine repair requests, however, are better received in writing. This gives you an opportunity to document the repair needs and the actions that you take. It can protect you and also prepare you for future replacements and repairs.
Partner with a Preferred List of Local Vendors and Contractors
It’s not always easy to find vendors and contractors the moment you need them.
They’re busy. They’re juggling heavy workloads. They don’t always have the help they need or the capacity to meet the needs of all their customers. However, you need to put together a preferred list of people you can count on. Good vendors and contractors are essential to how you maintain your property.
You can’t have a solid maintenance plan without a great team of professionals who will take care of the work that your property will ultimately need. Your handyman can likely take care of minor issues, but when it comes to specialized work like plumbing, electricity, roofing, and HVAC maintenance, you want to establish relationships with licensed and insured professionals.
Here is the most important maintenance tip we can give you: Develop these relationships before you need them. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself looking for a plumber in the middle of the night and you’ll have trouble finding one.
Another good maintenance tip: Listen to the advice and recommendations you receive when it comes to caring for your property. They might have some suggestions for upgrades or preventative care. Follow their tips and take their advice.
Evaluate Appliances for Energy Efficiency
Have you ever conducted an energy audit at your rental home? If not, this is a good time to do it. Energy efficiency is more important than ever to current and prospective tenants.
The culprits to wasted energy are often obvious. Bad insulation, for example. And, how old are your appliances? They may look fine, but if they’ve been in place for 20 years, it’s probably time to say goodbye to them so you can install something more appealing and energy-efficient.
Consider smart thermostats and LED light bulbs. By making your entire home more energy-efficient, you’re not only doing a better job of maintaining your property; you’re also increasing its value and attracting more tenants.
Make Upgrades and Improvements When You Have a Chance
Sometimes, maintenance requests are unpleasant. They’re are unwelcome reminder that your rental property requires ongoing care. We feel that pain. But, we also know that smart investors see these maintenance requests as an opportunity.
For example, if a tenant calls to tell you that the dishwasher isn’t working and you’ve already had to repair that dishwasher twice this year, maybe replace it instead. This will please your tenant, and it will also eliminate any future repairs you might have to make on that old and deteriorating fridge.
During turnover periods, install tile backsplash in the kitchen. Consider new faucets and hardware in the bathrooms. By making small upgrades and updates, you’re maintaining your property proactively. You’re also working towards better tenant retention and higher rental values.
Landscaping is About Curb Appeal
When we talk about maintenance, let’s not forget the exterior of the property.
The importance of landscaping and curb appeal in a rental property cannot be overstated. A well-maintained lawn and attractive outdoor space can greatly enhance the value of your rental property, making it more appealing to potential tenants.
Not only does a beautiful landscape increase your property’s marketability, it also demonstrates your commitment to maintaining the property and keeping your residents happy. Regular landscaping maintenance will promote a tidy and visually pleasing aesthetic and prevent potentially costly problems like erosion and dead patches of grass.
Consider Leveraging Visalia Property Management
Would you like to hear more maintenance tips that are personalized for you and your property? Please contact us at The Equity Group, and we’ll provide them.