Property managers are responsible for keeping multiple units and often several properties safe. Property management tips that focus on preventing water damage distill a wide topic into actionable information. Working ahead of time to educate tenants on water damage, keeping track of average water consumption for your units, and working to schedule appliance maintenance greatly reduces the risk of water damage on your properties. Follow these property management tips to cut the risk of water damage on your rental properties going forward.
Tenant education on leaks protocol cuts risk of extensive damage
Your tenants are your first responders in a water damage emergency. Don’t assume that they know what to do in the event of a water-related crisis. Many property managers are hesitant to discuss potential water damage scenarios because they don’t want to undermine a tenant’s confidence in the quality of their unit. A good solution to this problem is to include this information as part of your walk through. Water damage is the same as any other emergency that you educate your tenants about. Even if you don’t expect fires or short circuits, you still educate your tenants about the fuse box, sprinkler, and smoke alarm systems. It’s important to show your tenants how to turn off their water on a standalone property. Additionally, giving them the number to call for help with an urgent leak educates them without raising alarm.
Monitoring water usage cuts the risk of unnoticed leaks
Unnoticed leaks can wreak havoc on your property, but are easy to spot on a utility bill. Whether you pay the utilities on your rental units, or your tenants pay the utilities through you, you should always be able to gauge the average usage. Some property managers feel they have too much on their plate to go over every utility bill with a fine-tooth comb. In the short term, other issues can seem more pressing. In the long term, knowing the average amount of water used on your properties can help you spot a leak as soon as possible. A property manager can lower the risk of extensive water damage by paying attention to jumps in water usage.
Some property management tips for scheduling appliance maintenance
Regular appliance maintenance lowers the risk that an appliance will break and leak or flood your unit. However, scheduling appliance maintenance can be a struggle. Tenants don’t want intrusions, and are often reluctant to agree to maintenance. These property management tips help scheduling and performing appliance maintenance go smoothly.
First, don’t schedule maintenance during the holiday season. If your tenants aren’t already stressed, they either have plans to travel or have guests over. Neither is a situation that’s improved by the presence of a repairman. Secondly, give your tenants more warning than you legally have to. Thirty days’ notice, with follow-ups at intervals, allows tenants time to get their units ready for the technician. Finally, be as specific as you can in your notices. It’s difficult to estimate when a repairman will arrive at a specific unit, but attempt to be more specific than blocking out three days for your tenants to wait around. It’s better to be too specific and have to send out an updated schedule if something comes up.
Property management tips that focus on preventing water damage instead of fixing it save a lot of money down the line. A proactive property manager works to keep tenants happy while maintaining high levels of appliance maintenance. Attention to water usage and tenant education in emergency leak scenarios reduces the chance that water damage will go unaddressed. These tips, once implemented, will lower the odds of water damage to your rental property.