One of the best ways to protect the condition of your investment property and keep your tenants happy is to focus on preventative maintenance. Today, we’re sharing a couple of preventative maintenance tips that demonstrate the importance of property upkeep in the Bay area.
Inspect Your Property Routinely
It’s a good idea to go through your property every six months. This allows you to take a look around and capture little items before they become big and expensive issues. For example, you might find leaks in the plumbing or the roof that you weren’t aware of. Tenants don’t always report those issues because they’re concerned about rent increases. Everyone assumes that their tenants will report maintenance needs instantly, but not all tenants will do that. So, it’s a good idea to visit your property every six months and take a look around for unreported maintenance issues yourself. A good Foster City property management company should do this for you and if they don’t, ask about it.
Clean Out Rain Gutters
During this sweep, make sure you’re looking at your rain gutters. This is important because while it may be dry in the Bay area for half of the year, when it does rain, there’s usually a downpour. This can lead to clogged gutters, which may cause issues with your roof and the interior of your property. It can even lead to mold issues. So, take care of preventative maintenance things like cleaning out your gutters and checking the condition of your roof every year. It saves you from more costly repairs, and will also prevent lost rental income.
Flush Water Heaters
Next, flush the water heater every six months or at least every year. This will help you get rid of mineral deposits, and it also prolongs the life of your water heater. You might have to spend $50 or $100 to do this, but it will save you hundreds later on by prolonging the life of the water heater.
Refrigerator, Dryer Coils and Vents
Check the coils on the back of your refrigerator. Clean coils keep your fridge functioning properly, and it’s often an overlooked item. Go back there with a duster or a vacuum, and clean those coils out. The refrigerator and the freezer will continue to work well, and you’ll also reduce the tenant’s energy bill.
The last item we recommend you look at is your dryer vents. Those are also important, and it’s another area that’s often overlooked. Not cleaning your dryer vents can lead to major issues like fires. Clean out all of the lint with a vacuum or a brush; a maintenance or management company will have special equipment that can be used to really get the job done. When you effectively clean out the vent leading to the outside of your home, you’ll prevent the lint build-up, which is highly combustible and flammable. You’re prolonging the life of your dryer and protecting your rental income.
Avoid the worries that come with deferred maintenance, and protect your home and investment. These things will help owners and tenants. When it’s time to increase rent or talk about a lease renewal, your tenants will know that you care about the property, and they’ll want to stay.
If you have any questions about preventative maintenance, please contact us at Five Star Property Management.