If you acquired and now are managing a Waukesha rental property, sooner or later, your tenant will call you with a pressing appeal for maintenance or repairs. It’s relevant to discover the best ways to respond to different tenant requests. If you are handy, there are some things you could easily deal with yourself. On the other hand, there are times when setting out to fix something yourself could make matters worse. To truly comprehend when to call in a maintenance tech, here are just a few questions you can use to assess the problem at hand.
How urgent is the problem?
If your tenant has contacted you in reference to a repair or maintenance issue, you should first seek how urgent the problem is. Even as your tenant may be irritated because of a very faulty working dishwasher or dripping faucet, these are maintenance items that do not really require an emergency visit. But in contrast, if your tenant reports an issue that would make the property uninhabitable, you should take immediate action to work out the problem. A few common examples are significant water leaks and damage or a non-functioning furnace or air conditioner. In these types of affairs, it is customarily more efficient to just entrust it to the 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 counter and answer a tenant’s request. Especially true, in particular, if the task is a relatively uncomplicated one or something you already know how to do. Having said that, striving to fix something in an emergency without the proper tools or know-how could spell major trouble. This is why, if you are either not set and clear about how to amend the problem or don’t have time to do it soonest, it’s indisputably 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 integral 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 vital things, whether managing your investments or spending quality time with loved ones. If you weigh up how much your time costs, it may be more economical to hire a service tech instead.
Do the repairs require a licensed professional?
Multiple maintenance and repair items are pretty basic, do-it-yourself tasks, by way of example replacing filters or cleaning the refrigerator coils. Others, though, may indeed entail the services of a licensed professional. Such assignments are either too dangerous or difficult for untrained Waukesha property managers to do themselves. Electrical problems, major plumbing troubles, and annoyances 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 must ensure that regular maintenance is properly implemented. If your tenant seems unable or unwilling to help you with some routine maintenance tasks, you have to either do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. In any case, proactive maintenance is one of the ideal ways to keep off those late-night emergency calls and closely observe 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 elated, furthermore.
If property maintenance and repairs are not your best-loved part of owning a rental home, we can really help! At Real Property Management Greater Milwaukee, we capitalize on a proactive approach to property maintenance. We, on top of everything else, have access to a network of quality service providers who can keep your property in mint condition for less than you’d have to pay on your own. Contact us online to learn more!
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