When you respond professionally to tenant maintenance requests, you’re protecting the condition of your investment and you’re also working towards better tenant retention. You’ll have a positive relationship with your San Diego residents and you’ll be able to count on them renewing their lease agreement when you’re responsive to their maintenance needs.
You’ll need a process for handling requests, whether they’re emergency repairs or routine fixes.
San Diego Tenants Need to Understand Maintenance Expectations
You’re partnering with your tenants to ensure your property is well-maintained.
It’s important that they make their maintenance reports right away so you can avoid the cost of deferred maintenance. Your tenants, therefore, will need your contact numbers. They’ll also need to know whether they should report a routine repair need via email, text, or by phone call.
For emergencies, we recommend that you have your tenants call you as soon as it is safe. But for routine maintenance, a good process is to report the necessary repairs in writing.
Why? Because it will keep the process well-documented, and it will hold you and your vendors accountable. As San Diego property managers, we have a fantastic software system that allows tenants to make their maintenance requests online. You can have tenants send an email or text you with the problem. Then, you can respond in writing and follow up with them after the work is complete.
With everything in writing, you have the documentation you need when future maintenance needs arise or if there’s a dispute about work that was completed.
Respond Quickly to Tenant Maintenance Requests
Emergencies require an immediate response. You cannot leave safety and habitability issues alone for even a few days. Tenants need running water and electricity.
Your process should include a plan to respond to routine maintenance requests with the same sense of urgency. It’s good customer service and it will keep your tenants happy. If a tenant reports that a garbage disposal is clogged or a window screen is frayed, these might not seem like requests you need to handle right away. But, you should still get to them as soon as possible. When you are fast, it shows the tenants that you’re responsive and you care about their needs. It also means your property is better protected. Don’t leave deferred maintenance for later.
Put Together a Network of Preferred Vendors
You’ll need some professional help when it comes to managing maintenance requests from your tenants.
Vendor partnerships are important and you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to the work that’s performed at your property. Every owner is occasionally tempted to hire cheap labor to have your house painted or the trees trimmed back from your roof, but if that uninsured worker falls off a roof or gets injured, you may be liable for medical expenses and additional losses. Work with vendors and contractors you can trust, who guarantee their work. Make sure they’re licensed and insured.
We know maintenance requests can sometimes be challenging, and it’s one of the best reasons to work with a San Diego property management company. We can help you put together a process that serves you, your tenants, and your property. Contact us at Mercer Properties.