Realevate Specialists

Maintenance, Emergencies, and Professionals, Oh My!

If you have a Chula Vista rental property, sooner or later, your tenant will call you with a request for maintenance or repairs. It’s really important to be informed of the best ways to respond to different tenant requests. If you are handy, there are some things you could perhaps deal with yourself. On the other hand, there are times when doing your best to fix something yourself could make matters worse. To actually know when to call in a maintenance tech, here are a handful of questions you can use to assess your tenant’s particular situation.

How urgent is the problem?

If your tenant has contacted you in connection with a repair or maintenance issue, you should first figure out how urgent the problem is. Even while your tenant may be agitated pertaining to a defectively working dishwasher or dripping faucet, these are maintenance items that do not demand an emergency visit. With that said, if your tenant reports an issue that would make the property uninhabitable, you should take immediate action to resolve the trouble. Multiple examples include significant water leaks and damage or a non-functioning furnace or air conditioner. In these types of happenings, it is oftentimes ideal to just hire professionals.

Do you know how to do it yourself?

If you have experience executing maintenance and repair tasks, you may be the person to answer a tenant’s request. This applies particularly if the task is a plainly simple and quick one or something you already know how to do. Although, on the other hand, fixing up something in an emergency without the proper tools or know-how could spell fiasco. Hence, if you are either not confident about how to take care of the problem or don’t have time to do it quickly, it’s perhaps 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 essential 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 things, whether managing your investments or spending quality time with loved ones. If you check and consider how much your time costs, it may be more economical to hire a service tech instead.

Do the repairs require a licensed professional?

Lots of maintenance and repair items are pretty trouble-free, do-it-yourself tasks, like replacing filters or cleaning the refrigerator coils. Others, in fact, may actually need the services of a licensed professional. Such tasks are either too dangerous or difficult for untrained Chula Vista property managers to do themselves. Electrical problems, major plumbing problems, and matters with an HVAC unit should all be charged to a professional service technician.

Is regular maintenance being scheduled?

To keep your rental property in good condition, you have got to ensure that regular maintenance is done and accomplished. If your tenant seems unable or unwilling to help you with some routine maintenance tasks, you may need to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. In all cases, proactive maintenance is one of the best means to shun those late-night emergency calls and keep an eye on 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 content and cheerful too.

 

If property maintenance and repairs are not a well-liked part of owning a rental home for you, we can certainly help! At Real Property Management Realevate Specialists, we adopt a proactive approach to property maintenance. We, indeed, also have access to a network of quality service providers who can keep your property in great condition for less than you’d perhaps pay on your own. Contact us online to learn more!