Every Phoenix investment property needs to be protected from deterioration, damage, and neglect. Even the best-maintained properties will have repair needs from time to time. Toilets will stop flushing. Outlets will cease working. Appliances will need attention and maybe the heating or the cooling will need help.
As property management experts in Phoenix, maintaining homes is one of our most important tasks. We prioritize the value and the condition of your rental property by investing in a schedule of preventative and routine maintenance. We respond right away to emergencies. We keep a strong list of excellent vendors, contractors, and service professionals who do good work for competitive prices.
All of this attention to good maintenance keeps your investment in great shape, it will also contribute to tenant satisfaction, which means you’re more likely to get a lease renewal when the time comes. That’s important in avoiding expensive vacancy and turnover costs.
Here is how we handle maintenance and repairs efficiently, and what we would recommend to rental owners who are looking for ways to remain responsive when it comes to caring for their investment properties.
Phoenix Investment Properties are Protected with Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is efficient and cost-effective. We schedule regular maintenance checks to uncover any potential problems before they become catastrophic and expensive. This proactive approach can:
Avoid costly emergency repairs that are both expensive and frustrating.
Increase the property value.
Ensure tenants have high-quality homes, which contributes to tenant satisfaction and creates stronger relationships and more profitability.
Preventative maintenance services can include a number of things such as pest control and landscaping or HVAC checks and filter changes. Every rental property has its own preventative maintenance needs, and we’re ready to meet those needs and provide proactive services that keep costs down.
By investing in preventative maintenance, you protect the existing condition of your property and you also increase its value now and in the long term. Rental values will go up and so will your asking price when you eventually sell the property.
How to Avoid Maintenance Emergencies
If there’s an emergency maintenance request made, we respond right away. We’re available 24 hours a day for tenants who need help with a flood, fire, or other unexpected disaster. However, preventing emergencies is more important to us than simply responding to them.
It’s always a shock to tenants and to owners when a pipe bursts or a sewer backs up or a water heater starts leaking or lint in a dryer starts a small fire. Our first job is to make sure the tenants are safe and our second job is to make sure the property we’re managing is safe.
Maintenance emergencies can lead to costly repairs and extended property vacancies. Those of us who have a reputation for smart property management in Phoenix understand that to reduce maintenance emergencies, we need to conduct regular inspections and we need to prioritize preventative maintenance.
We do both those things.
By conducting regular inspections, we can easily detect potential issues early on - before they require an immediate response in the middle of the night. For example, a leaking pipe might go unnoticed by a tenant or even a homeowner, but, by discovering it during a routine inspection, a property manager can address the problem before it becomes a flood or causes significant water damage.
Similarly, preventative maintenance, such as servicing HVAC systems, checking fire alarms, and replacing worn-out appliances, can help avoid system failures, which can inconvenience tenants and lead to expensive emergency repair bills.
Limiting emergencies and focusing on preventative maintenance are two of the most important parts of our maintenance plans. But, we don’t stop there.
Partnering with Tenants to Avoid Deferred and Unreported Maintenance Issues
Positive tenant relationships matter for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons is that it allows us to maintain your property better. When tenants trust us and are willing to communicate with us, there’s less deferred maintenance. We don’t have to worry about the unreported repairs that we’re not hearing about right away.
This is critical in keeping your property well-maintained. If you don’t have a resident who is willing to report maintenance issues when they occur, you can expect more expensive and extensive problems later on.
This is bad for your property condition and your property value. It’s also expensive to address.
In our lease agreements, we list a number of tenant responsibilities. Tenants are expected to change the air filters regularly, for example. We require them to keep the inside of the property clean and free of pests and insects. They can be held accountable for any damage that’s incurred due to their own negligence or abuse.
Another important part of the lease agreement and an expectation we share early is this: maintenance must be reported right away. We want those repair requests in writing, so the need and the problem is well-documented.
This partnership makes managing a rental property much easier. It also contributes to tenant satisfaction and retention.
Common Maintenance Issues in Phoenix Rental Homes
Let’s address some of the most common maintenance issues that we come across, and what we do to take care of such problems. Many of these things go back to our discussion around the importance of preventative maintenance.
Most of the maintenance requests property managers receive have something to do with the following.
Plumbing
Common issues when it comes to plumbing include leaky faucets, clogged drains, running toilets, and low water pressure. Sometimes, we can take care of the problem quickly and easily. But other times, we need a licensed plumber to make things right.
Since we conduct regular maintenance checks, we can easily identify potential plumbing issues before they become significant problems. We ask tenants to report any signs of leaks or drainage problems immediately.
Remember that plumbing issues require a sense of urgency. No one wants to live with a sink full of standing water. If your rental property only has one bathroom and the toilet isn’t working, that will be considered an emergency repair need because there isn’t another toilet for your tenants to use.
Electrical Issues
Electrical issues are more common in rental homes than you might imagine. These repair requests may be for flickering lights, outlets that don’t work, tripped breakers, or sparks at the point of contact between plug and outlet. These are issues that have to be taken seriously because electrical problems can pose safety risks. Too much lint in the dryer, for example, can cause a fire. An outlet that has black ash around it might cause sparks and electrocution if something is plugged in. Don’t blow off the electrical problems that tenants report. Take action right away and call a licensed electrician to handle the repairs.
Never attempt DIY fixes for electrical issues unless you are certified to do so. You don’t want to electrocute yourself, start a fire, or leave the property in unsafe condition for your tenants.
HVAC Malfunctions
Phoenix gets pretty hot in the long summers we experience, and surprisingly cold in the winters. Even with regular preventative maintenance and inspections, you could find yourself dealing with a problem heating or cooling your rental property. Common issues include breakdowns in air conditioning or heat, strange noises coming from the furnace or the a/c unit, and a lack of airflow throughout the property.
Always keep your routine maintenance appointments and schedule annual inspections and servicing by a qualified HVAC technician. Replace air filters regularly and ensure that tenants know how to operate the thermostat correctly. If tenants report issues like inadequate heating or cooling, strange noises, or weak airflow, we arrange for professional servicing immediately.
Roof Damage
Roof problems can be especially common after an especially active monsoon season. You’ll know there’s an issue when you spot water stains on the ceiling or the walls. If a roof inspection reveals that there are missing or damaged shingles, you’ll want to take care of those. It’s also important to watch for mold growth in and around roofs.
Regular roof inspections can help detect and address potential problems before they lead to major damage. After severe rain events, check the roof for missing or damaged shingles and arrange for repairs as needed. Address any signs of water damage inside the property immediately to prevent mold growth and structural damage. Professional roofers should be scheduled to handle repairs or replacements.
Appliance Breakdowns
We get a lot of calls about appliances, and we always look for warranties first. A lot of rental properties tend to have a refrigerator that stops keeping food cold, or a dishwasher that smells horrid or springs a leak. What if the clothes dryer isn’t working? You need to maintain any appliances you provide in your Phoenix rental.
Ensure that all appliances are in good working order before new tenants move in. Provide tenants with guidelines on how to use and maintain the appliances correctly. If an appliance breaks down, assess whether it can be repaired or needs replacing. For complex repairs, hire a professional appliance technician to ensure the job is done correctly.
We have specific maintenance policies in place, and we can talk to you about what we would implement if we were responsible for managing and maintaining your Phoenix rental home. Please contact us at Service Star Realty.
