Maintenance made easy: a step-by-step guide (part one)
Whether your rental property is old or new, large or small, a city dwelling or a coastal retreat, monitoring maintenance issues is vital.
“It’s extremely important to pro-actively look out for potential maintenance issues in your rental property in order to detect problems at the early stages before they cause more extensive damage,” explains Adam Rastall of Belvoir Liverpool West Derby. “This could be something as small as a water leak, or an issue as big as structural movement in a property.”
Wayne Mearns of Belvoir Southend-on-Sea agrees. “Identifying potential maintenance issues early can save hundreds of pounds on what could end up being a larger repair bill later on,” he says. “In addition, your tenants will see that you care about the property and will feel more obliged to look after it during their stay.”
Essential inspections
Arranging regular inspections of your rental property is the key to spotting potential maintenance issues before they escalate.
“You should visit your property every six months (at a minimum) in order to access potential maintenance needs,” advises Adam. “Your tenant has a duty of care to inform you of anything that they may have spotted. However, I would not recommend solely relying on a tenant – they may not be familiar with the warning signs of potential repairs or maintenance issues and may miss something essential. Always visit the property yourself, or ask your agent to visit the property on your behalf, every three to six months.”
Samantha Bateman of Belvoir Portsmouth explains further…
“We inspect our properties at regular intervals throughout the year so that we can check them in every season. For example, a problem with the guttering, roof or rendering will often not show itself until the wetter months.
“Tenants who work full-time may not remember, or find the time, to report an issue to us,” she continues. “In their opinion the problem may be minor, but as experts we know that small issues may manifest themselves into bigger repairs or renovation if left without immediate attention.”
For more information please contact your local office.
