On the topic of property maintenance, always include major appliances in your property management plan. Placing quality appliances in your West Allis rental properties will surely draw renters while presenting as a considerable future expense. When appliances are not properly maintained, they may fail faster and require replacement more frequently.
There are some helpful hints landlords and tenants can take to stretch the life of the appliances in your rental homes. By applying a few simple precautions, you can be confident that each appliance lives up to its full potential. The first thing you can do to keep an appliance running is to– believe it or not– read the appliance’s manual. A good landlord will provide a copy of all appliance manuals and encourage their tenants to read them.
Basic maintenance improves the longevity of individual appliances by a lot. Case in point, refrigerators need their gaskets and coils cleaned on a regular basis. The gaskets are the plastic strip that forms the seal around the refrigerator door. To prevent gapping, wipe down the gaskets a few times a year. Cleaning the coils is also straightforward; just remove the cover and vacuum or use a soft bristle brush. If there are filters in your refrigerator, a smart move would be to create a schedule to have these changed for your renters; this would make sure that the task gets done correctly and regularly.
Dishwashers also need to be given some attention regularly and it’s not difficult to clean the gasket with soap and water, yet this simple task helps make sure that this appliance stays watertight. Check the filter regularly and remove any debris. You should also make sure your dishwasher is level with the floor. An unbalanced dishwasher can cause vibrations that will eventually damage both the machine and the dishes. In addition to making sure the mechanical aspects are dealt with, you can also increase your dishwasher’s lifespan by running a hot water cycle with vinegar or a dishwasher cleaner every few months.
For washers and dryers, proper use does a lot to keep them running smoothly. Overloading the machines is the most common mistake people make and it leads to breakdowns and poor performance. Loads that are too big places excessive strain on the motor, belts, and transmission, leading to rapid wear and tear. Tell your tenants to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations about load size. Also, dryer vents are to be examined and cleaned periodically to avoid buildup. When the external vent starts gathering lint and debris, it can lead to motor or thermostat failure, and make itself a serious fire hazard. We recommend double checking the vents each time you replace the filters.
These maintenance tasks may be very simple, but they add up and would require considerable time and effort. Telling renters to help is where you can start, but the problem is making sure that they actually do them. Why not save yourself some time and expenses by calling on the experts at Real Property Management Greater Milwaukee? We offer large appliance care as part of our regular property evaluations and maintenance services, reducing your expenses by lengthening the lifespan of all major appliances in the home. If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 262-309-6961.
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