If you have a Lynnwood rental property, sooner or later, your tenant will call you with a sudden and urgent need for maintenance or repairs. It’s principal to find out the best ways to respond to different tenant requests. If you are handy, there are some things you could practically deal with yourself. On the other hand, there are times when undertaking to fix something yourself could make matters worse. To perceive when to call in a maintenance tech, here are a number of really useful questions you can use to assess the incident.
How urgent is the problem?
If your tenant has contacted you pertaining to a repair or maintenance issue, you should first monitor how urgent the problem is. Much as your tenant may be stressed about an insufficiently operating dishwasher or dripping faucet, these are maintenance items that do not immediately require an emergency visit. Though, if your tenant reports an issue that would make the property uninhabitable, you should take immediate action to sort out the difficulty. A few other examples include significant water leaks and damage or a non-functioning furnace or air conditioner. In these types of matters, it is naturally best to entrust them with professionals.
Do you know how to do it yourself?
If you have experience with working on maintenance and repair tasks, you may be the best person to act in response to a tenant’s request. Especially applicable if the task is an easy and fast one or something you already know how to do. Be that as it may, repairing something in an emergency without the proper tools or know-how could spell certain and sure disaster. This is the reason if you are either not sure how to handle the concern or don’t have time to do it immediately, it’s certainly best to send a service technician to take care of it for you.
Is doing it yourself REALLY the best use of your time?
Another great question to consider is whether going over to your rental property and completing repair and maintenance tasks is the best use of your time. Every hour you spend on property repairs and maintenance is an hour you are not spending on other more crucial things, whether managing your investments or spending quality time with loved ones. If you evaluate how much your time costs, it may be more economical to hire a service tech instead.
Do the repairs require a licensed professional?
Considerable maintenance and repair items are pretty basic, do-it-yourself tasks, such as replacing filters or cleaning the refrigerator coils. Others, still, may mandate the services of a licensed professional. Such efforts are either too dangerous or difficult for untrained Lynnwood property managers to do themselves. Electrical problems and issues, major plumbing problems, and problem conditions with an HVAC unit should all be delegated to a professional service technician.
Is regular maintenance being scheduled?
To keep your rental property in good condition, you certainly need to ensure that regular maintenance is done properly. If your tenant seems unable or unwilling to help you with some routine maintenance tasks, either strive to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. But, one way or another, proactive maintenance is one of the appropriate means to suppress those late-night emergency calls and carefully monitor your property’s condition. By maintaining and replacing things before they break or wear out, you can reduce your maintenance and repair costs and keep your tenants totally pleased.
If property maintenance and repairs are not among your most enjoyable parts of owning a rental home, we can absolutely help! At Real Property Management Eclipse, we effectively use a proactive approach to property maintenance. We furthermore have access to a network of quality service providers who can keep your property in prime condition for less than you’d practically pay on your own. Contact us online to learn more!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
