Handling Maintenance Emergencies: Tips to Improve Tenant Retention

It's 1 am, and as your tenants sleep, the washing machine is finishing up its last load of the day. Unfortunately, the hose to the washing machine has broken. Water pours over the floor and makes its way into a storage closet where it seeps into boxes, causing damage to your tenants' belongings. In the morning, your tenants discover that there's been a flood and call to report the problem. Needless to say, they are unhappy- and your property management company needs to fix the problem. Can this story have a happy ending? What measures can you take handle maintenance emergencies and keep tenants happy?

Property Management Tips: Make Communication Easy

No matter how much you plan, maintenance disasters sometimes happen- and when they do, your tenants need you to have their back. Make sure to offer them a way contact you day or night when problems arise. While it's probably not realistic for your staff to be on call 24/7, you can work with a maintenance contact center to ensure maintenance issues are addressed immediately.

Document Problems and Solutions

A tenant portal helps provide key information to the people living in your properties. You can use this portal to document payments, maintenance, and more. According to Planned Companies, property managers should "regularly check-in to ensure that everything at your property is as it should be. This not only shows that you care but can also lend a proactive hand to taking care of anything that might become a bigger problem later." Clear communication and timelines will make your tenants feel more secure about the progress of a repair or renovation.

Have Contractors at Hand

Create a list of approved contractors, and make sure to keep it close at hand. This will serve as a great point of reference so you can avoid finding and interviewing new potential vendors. While you may not be able to arrange for an immediate repair, the process will be quicker if you already have an established account and relationship with a contractor. You'll also feel secure knowing that they've done good work in the past.

Schedule Regular Maintenance

According to the Bigger Pockets blog, "during the tenant's stay, their only contact with management is usually in some negative situation, which is likely why so many tenants have such a bad view of property managers." That's why it's so important to handle maintenance correctly and proactively. When a tenant sees that you're actively maintaining the property, improving it, and working hard to prevent potential problems, they feel more confident and protected. In the case above, regular inspections and maintenance or replacement of the washing machine hose may have prevented the disaster.

Keep Up With Technological Developments

One of your key competencies as a property manager needs to be your ability to keep up with developments in your field. The right property management software system allows you to be more responsive to tenants. It's also a good idea to learn about new tools and equipment, such as no-burst hoses for washing machines. This will facilitate timely and effective maintenance, which can help in achieving the goal of reducing future problems in your properties.

When you're looking for property solutions, contact Propertyware. Our property management software will keep you organized to prevent problems and help you respond when disasters occur. Contact us today to sign up for a free online tour of Propertyware.