Think about some of the most expensive features and systems in your San Diego rental property. There’s the HVAC system, the roof, the plumbing, and the electrical system. You also have to think about flooring and foundations - appliances and landscaping.
Routine maintenance accomplishes a number of things. It helps you protect the condition of your investment, it helps you attract and retain good tenants, and it helps you increase what you earn in rent every month.
When you’re taking care of routine maintenance issues, you’re less likely to respond to emergencies.
Here are some of the benefits to putting together a strong and consistent routine maintenance plan.
Protecting Your San Diego Investment Property
Routine maintenance is important because it protects your property. If you are left to deal with deferred maintenance because small problems were put off for a few weeks or months or even years, you’re going to find that your home deteriorates quickly. It won’t be worth as much and you’ll have to invest more funds than you’d like in fixing it up.
Part of routine maintenance should be preventative maintenance. Fix the problems that are reported right away. And, don’t stop there. Try some of these money-saving preventative maintenance tips:
- Have your HVAC serviced annually. When a qualified technician looks at your heating and cooling system, they’ll be able to tell you what might be on the verge of a breakdown.
- Ask a roofer to check your roof for evidence of water intrusion, missing shingles, rust, or other problems. Fixing them early will prevent a complete roof replacement.
- Stay on top of pest control. A termite infestation can quickly become a major problem.
You want to protect your property and its value. So, keep it well-maintained.
Attracting Better Tenants and Higher Rents
Good tenants want well-maintained homes. They earn more in rent.
Good tenants also expect a fast maintenance response when they report that something is broken or in need of a replacement.
When you pay attention to routine maintenance, you attract better renters. You also retain those renters because they’ll appreciate your responsiveness.
Put together a process for routine repairs so tenants can quickly and easily let you know that something’s wrong. Then, make a plan to address the issue and share that plan with your tenants. This will increase your rental earnings and protect you against vacancy and turnover costs that come when tenants leave a property due to shoddy maintenance responses.
Keeping Emergency Repair Costs Down
Perhaps the best reason to stay on top of routine maintenance is that your emergency repairs will be minimized. You won’t have to worry about things breaking down in the middle of the night, because you know exactly where you stand in terms of the condition of your home. Those preventative service calls and minor routine fixes will ensure that nothing is left to chance.
Routine maintenance costs are a lot lower than emergency costs.
If you’d like some help putting together a maintenance plan for your San Diego rental home, please contact us at Mercer Properties.