In an effort to protect the condition of your Beaufort investment property and retain great tenants, you need a reliable and responsive plan in place to address maintenance requests. Sound maintenance practices not only keep your residents happy and secure, they also protect the condition of your investment.
Here are some of the best ways to handle maintenance requests.
Communicate Maintenance Processes at Move-In
Communication is central to a good maintenance process, and you need to share your maintenance process and expectations with your tenants before they move into your home. Tenants must also be clear on the difference between a maintenance emergency and a routine repair. Prepare to be available to your tenants 24 hours a day in case there’s an emergency. You’ll need to answer your phone in the middle of the night and on holidays and weekends. You never want to be inaccessible, especially if your property is flooding or on fire. All maintenance procedures and instructions should be included in your lease agreement.Routine Rental Property Repair Requests
For emergencies, your tenants should call you right away. For general repairs, we always recommend you get those requests in writing. A written maintenance request keeps you organized. It leads to a documented and consistent process. You’ll also be able to keep yourself and your vendors accountable to meeting the needs of your residents and your property. As a professional Beaufort property management company, we have an online portal that allows tenants to easily and conveniently request maintenance electronically. Even without such technology, you can still ask tenants to send an email or text message with a description of the problem and even some photos. Then, you can respond in writing and follow up with them after the work is complete. Everything will be documented, and you can refer to those records when future maintenance needs arise or if there’s a dispute about work that was completed.Responsiveness Serves Your Tenants and your Beaufort Rental Property
Respond to all maintenance emergencies right away. Tenants need running water and air conditioning. They need electricity. Responding to routine maintenance requests with the same sense of urgency is good customer service. Taking care of even minor issues immediately is beneficial to you as a landlord. It shows your tenants that you care about their needs. It also protects the condition of your investment. Deferred maintenance is expensive; make the repairs early.Work with Licensed and Insured Vendors
When a maintenance request comes in, you have to know who you’ll call for help. A list of preferred vendors will help you to act swiftly and proactively. If you don’t already have a plumber, finding someone to fix a leaking water heater on a Sunday morning will not be easy.
As you put together your vendor list, make sure you’re working with licensed and insured professionals. This will protect you from risk and liability and ensure that both you and your tenants are safe and well-served.
Make your maintenance request process as resident-friendly as possible because happy tenants lead to happy owners and profitable investment properties. If you’d like to talk more about maintenance or anything pertaining to professional property management in Beaufort, please contact us at Middleton Street Property Management.
