When you’re a landlord in Windsor, tenants call to say they have a problem with the house, and those problems can sometimes be fairly innocuous. Perhaps a garbage disposal is not working properly, or a smoke detector is malfunctioning. Many issues are often easy to remedy, but sometimes problems can be quite significant or serious. Those instances need an appropriate response quickly, and the level of your response is important. If you do not take your maintenance requests seriously, or if you take them too lightly, the tenant will believe you don’t care.
At DeDe’s Rentals, we act immediately. Sometimes, there are complaints or reports from our tenants that seem confusing or mysterious, so we send out the property manager, an assistant property manager, a handyman and even a contractor all at the same time. Doing this ensures that we have all the necessary people there to help determine what the cause of the problem is. It also demonstrates to the tenant that we are taking the issue seriously, and responding as necessary.
A proper response to a maintenance issue is prompt. If someone calls to report a garage door opener is broken and not working properly, we don’t want the tenant to have to leave the car in the garage for two days before sending someone out to fix it. We work with vendors to make sure that there is same day service. In addition to a prompt response, you need to send out an expert. As an owner, you might not know a lot about electrical work, so don’t mess with the electrical unit on your own. Instead, get in touch with an electrician. If there is a plumbing issue, don’t send a general handyman, send a qualified and experienced plumber. Sending someone out to fix or repair a problem who is not an expert in that particular field can possibly create more problems. Save money in the long run by calling an expert as soon as you have a maintenance issue to address.
There will also be occasions when you have to make repairs because of something the tenant has done or failed to do. For example, if the garbage disposal is jammed because of a bottle cap or fish tank gravel, be prepared to tell the tenant that you fixed the problem, but that he or she is responsible for the bill. Make sure you have documentation that can back up your claim about the cost as well as the issue. You will need to document why the tenants are responsible for any given maintenance issue.
Issues with property repair and maintenance can be complex. At DeDe’s Rentals, we have specialists in the office and out in the field who can assess and fix problems with your investment properties. Give us a call to further discuss what we can do, (707) 523-4500. If you have any questions, we’d be happy to answer them.
