Notes

The Importance of Responding to Problems With Rental Properties - A Stitch in Time
Effective home property management requires managers/owners to respond regularly to tenant complaints when complaints are reported. They really need to reply just as if it were their own home. Failing to manage problems is high in list of reasons tenants start shopping for new places to live. And right this moment it's a renters market, as there are many empty rental units on the market.
click to read speak from personal experience about this as I was renting a house when several problems developed. The owner/landlord didn't reply to problems he considered "nice to have" features but not requirements. A couple examples:
- When I moved in I quickly learned the sprinkler system had several leaks and lots of sprinkler heads were busted over pipes. I complained along with the owner said he would look after it. This went on for several months. I finally got sick and tired of dragging the hose around to water and paying a better water bill (sprinkler system was on reclaimed water), so I informed him that I stopped watering. He still didn't remedy it, along with the yard did start to die. Not wanting my dogs to monitor in mud, I reluctantly learned how you can fix it. The landlord didn't even offer to cover the parts!
- Another example occurs when water softener salt tank cracked and leaked. Again he didn't respond for months. I got sick and tired of waiting and patched the tank with many plastic and epoxy. It was clear my landlord didn't care so long as he didn't think your home was at urgent demand for repair.
Home property management is about caring for the tenants needs and, in the event the manager is not the owner, ensuring that they're meeting the owners' expectations. In my second example the salt water leaked on top of the garage floor and rusted the new water heater, which rusted through and failed a few months later. About few months next the bottom of the garage door became so rusty it started to sink. I'm sure between your two problems my landlord spent no less than $600, when he would have fixed it using a bit of plastic and epoxy. He could have prevented the extensive damage. It's important for the non-owning home property manager to never let problems turn into bigger problems. A well maintained house will create the owner or home property manager's client more revenue.
The phrase holds true "a stitch soon enough saves nine." That same stitch is able to keep a happy tenant in a rental unit for a long period. And long-term tenants should be the goal of every home property management professional, owner you aren't.
Website: http://www.masonre.com.au/