Rental Property Maintenance and Repair

A fact-of-life with owning rental property is that things wear out, break or require maintenance at some point in time. And this requires ongoing maintenance and repair efforts to "stay ahead of the curve" and keep your property running smoothly.

Best of all, learning to do the work yourself with "sweat equity" can prevent large service repair bills from gobbling up your cash flow like pac-man.

The Importance of Maintenance and Repair Work

Staying on top of necessary maintenance and repair issues provides tenants with the service, respect and value that they expect to get in return for their rent money. In this manner, they'll certainly feel and be treated like the valued customers that they are. And this is, without a doubt, one of the "secrets" to becoming a successful landlord.

As a small residential landlord, whether you do the maintenance and repair work yourself or outsource it depends on your own circumstances and preferences. Assessing your own skills , time and tools to accomplish the job will determine if outside help is needed. If the situation does require "calling in the cavalry" for help, then you'll have to follow some basic guidelines for hiring good contractors to do the job.

Developing Repair and Maintenance Skills

If you're not accustomed to doing handyman type work, then you'll have to start slow and take it step-by-step. You'll have to first make a pledge to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to do the work, and this includes learning how to work safely . And who knows, maybe you'll discover a personal talent that you never knew existed.

It will take some work and effort to develop those skills, but keep in mind that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Acquiring trade skills will pay huge dividends for you indeed.

Equip Yourself with the Proper Tools

Just like mechanics and surgeons need tools to do their work, you'll need tools to work on your rental property. A basic tool kit is needed that will allow you to complete work on the most common types of rental property maintenance and repair projects. However, if your inventory of hand and power tools is limited, then you'll have to acquire the tools over time. A great method of doing this is buying tools at yard sales and flea markets, but arrive early because the good tools usually sell out fast!

Common Rental Property Maintenance and Repair Jobs

The more common maintenance and repair jobs that you should be prepared to tackle to keep your rental property running smoothly are described as follows…

1. Plumbing Systems

• Clogged drains
• Leaking faucets and shutoff valves
• Leaking drain pipes
• Toilet problems

2. Electrical Systems

• Faulty light switches

• Blown fuses

• Tripped circuit breakers

• Faulty receptacles

• Defective light fixtures

3. Heating Systems

• Gas pilot Thermocouple replacement

• Hot water heater replacement

• Oil filter replacement (Oil burners)

• Air filter replacement (Furnaces)

• Bleeding air from radiators

• Thermostat replacement

4. Maintenance Tasks

• Mow lawn, yard cleanup

• Exterior and interior painting

• Cleaning gutters

• Cleaning common areas and basements

• Replacing smoke detector batteries

• Trimming trees and bushes

That covers some of the routine repair, replacement and maintenance work that you can expect to perform during the course of owning residential rental property. And like everything else, with a little knowledge, effort and experience you'll become a seasoned pro before you know it.

For great, step-by-step instructions and information on how to perform important rental property maintenance and repair tasks, please visit The Landlord's Library book collection. It's a terrific, one-stop source for practical, comprehensive information on the entire subject of residential landlording.

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