Preventative maintenance is not only for owners to help preserve their rental property.
Part of the resident's responsibilities include some preventative maintenance.
What is preventative maintenance?
Well, let's break down the words.
Preventative means to prevent, to keep from happening, being concerned with preventing something from happening.
Maintenance means the act of maintaining, the upkeep of property or equipment.
So, what does this mean for you as an owner or a resident? The more you complete preventative maintenance. you reduce premature system breakdowns. It prolongs the lifespan of the item you are maintaining, potentially less maintenance requests, which means, happy resident and happy owner!
OWNERS: Here are some examples and timeframes to complete some preventative maintenance on your rental property:
- Pressure wash the exterior of your properties every 6 months.
- Service your HVAC 2 times a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall.
- Inspect your water heaters once every year, or at least when the property is vacant and in between residents.
- Clean out your gutters 2 times a year.
RESIDENTS: You are not quite off the hook. Here are some examples and timeframes to complete some preventative maintenance on the rental property you are occupying:
- Replace your air filters every 3 months
- Remove lint and debris from your dryer vents once a month
- Test your smoke alarms and CO alarms at least every 3 months
- Clean out your gutters 2 times a year (check your lease to see if you are responsible for this item)
In a nutshell, fix the small problems before they become big problems!
