Maintenance

There are three types of maintenance that confront the management of your property. (1) Emergency Maintenance; (2) Required Maintenance; (3) Planned Maintenance.  Let's discuss these.

1) Emergency Maintenance is when there is an unsafe or a non-functional condition that is reported that affects the ability to occupy the property. A storm has put a tree limb through the roof or a pipe has burst and flooding is occurring.  These are conditions that we must take immediate action to resolve while we attempt to contact you.  If the Rental Manager determines that there is an Emergency condition existing she will order the work to be performed.  This is why it is absolutely necessary for your insurance information to be up to date so that we can contact your agent or adjuster and get them involved early on.  If your policy so states they will immediately authorize emergency work to secure or protect your property and get it back to a condition it can be occupied.  If the tenant has a kitchen fire your insurance will most likely order the repair and then subrogate against the tenant if negligence is involved.

2) Required Maintenance is when a non-emergency non-functional condition exists that affects the enjoyment of the property in the terms and conditions for which it was leased.  The refrigerator goes out, the air conditioner stops, the hot water heater no longer functions.  These are mechanical items that fail and they are considered to be conditions of the lease; we must make timely repairs to these type of items or the tenant can void the lease and move out.  You have then incurred both the requirement to fix the item, we are looking for a new tenant and you have lost that income.

Magistrates have ruled that if an appliance is in the house and functioning when the tenant moves in we must keep it in repair as a condition of that lease. If you leave a washer or dryer in the house with the intention of removing it when it quits the tenant can void their lease and move out if you don't repair it.  Likewise a reasonable period to get an air conditioner repaired is a week to ten days.

3) Planned Maintenance is when we determine that a condition exists that affects the value of the property or may result in deterioration of the property. This might be a roof replacement, carpet replacement or some other condition that if we permit to continue will devalue the property.

Click on the Button to go to how we can fund maintenance.