How to deal with maintenance issues of your rental property in Newcastle? Property maintenance and repairs are a tricky issue that can often arise between a tenant and a landlord. Find the tips on managing requests in our latest post!
Managing an investment property is not an easy job. It includes a lot of maintenance and repairs. Having help from your tenants can make this job easier for you. Also, you can hire a property management company, but this will take a chunk of your profits away. You can save time and cut the maintenance budget by tackling the issues as they arise. That’s why we have come up with ways that can aid you in solving property maintenance problems in Newcastle.
Make Open Lines of Communication
A good relationship with tenants can bring you many benefits. It should be nurtured for many reasons. If they feel comfortable with you, then they won’t have a problem coming up to you when an issue arises. that way it won’t be neglected. Your tenants should be able to share their needs and concerns with you. If they don’t feel welcome in the house, they will probably leave and you’ll be left with tenant turnover and money loss. That’s why you should make your tenants trust you and feel respected. Providing help and maintenance of the house will bring you many benefits over time.
Create A Process
If you don’t already have it in your lease, including a detailed explanation on handling maintenance requests is a good idea. It’s even better to have a standardised form for submitting requests, or an online form to fill in. You should encourage your tenants to submit detailed requests because that can help you resolve any issues quickly and efficiently. Your tenants should know the timeframe of resolving the problems, depending on the emergency. You should try to resolve all of them in 24-48 hours or communicate a plan on how you will resolve it as quickly as possible.
Keep Records
Fulfilling your duties as a landlord can be tough, so you should keep a record of everything you do to avoid additional confusion. Keeping a record will help you know when maintenance is due, and fulfill your financial and tax obligations. You should have a maintenance schedule for all of your properties to keep track of the repairs and their costs. Online maintenance systems are a no-sweat option for keeping track of the requests and your work on them. Most of these systems offer free trial periods, so you can try them out and pick the one that suits your needs best. At this point, you probably think that keeping a detailed record is too much of a hustle, but it’s the best thing you can do in the long run.
Prevention Is Key
Being proactive when it comes to maintenance and conducting repairs on time is a great way to save yourself from large and urgent problems. The fact that you are not living on the property shouldn’t stop you from taking care of it. Simply create a schedule and stick to it. A property management company can be of great help with all that you have to do to keep a home in perfect order.
Your right as a landlord is to inspect the property annually. Use this as an opportunity to detailly assess what needs to be repaired. Your tenants can point out occurring issues that you wouldn’t be able to notice by yourself. This doesn’t mean that you should put pressure on your tenants, but make them aware of the importance of a regular inspection for both of you.