Excellent property maintenance is a year-round task. Routine upkeep and quick responses to repair needs help keep your Northern Virginia rentals in the best condition while keeping your renters happy.
However, many investors don’t have the time (or experience) to handle the level of maintenance that helps their rentals stand out from the competition. If you’re deployed overseas or an out-of-state investor, you need the right local experts to keep an eye on your rentals and deliver professional-quality maintenance for each of your properties.
What are the five essential property maintenance tasks to keep your rental in tip-top shape? Check out this insight from our Northern Virginia property management team!
1. Secure Windows and Doors
Your renters have a responsibility to protect your rentals and their belongings by closing and locking doors and windows. However, rental property owners must ensure that all doors and windows lock and seal properly to provide sufficient security. Sealed doors and windows also help reduce energy costs for your renters.
A broken window latch or a deadbolt that sticks can be dangerous. Real estate investors could be liable for theft or injury that happens to a renter in your property if a broken door or lock allowed entry into the home.
Renters won’t always recognize when a door or window isn’t secure. A Northern Virginia property management company will check every door and window during a routine inspection. If we find a problem, we’ll fix it right away. A property manager can also recommend installing safety features that help residents monitor deliveries and feel secure in your rental.
2. Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
Protecting renters and properties extends to the inside of your rentals. Rental property owners must follow the Northern Virginia requirements to install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in each home.
However, simply having a detector in your rentals isn’t enough to keep residents safe and avoid liabilities. Detectors should be:
- Located in each bedroom and other critical areas throughout the home
- Checked frequently to make sure they work
- Maintained with fresh batteries as needed
Investors never want to find a dead battery in a carbon monoxide or smoke detector or get a report of a fire in a rental that never sets off an alarm. With routine inspections, a Northern Virginia property management company ensures that all detectors remain operational at all times.
3. Monitor Cooling and Heating Systems
Keeping residents comfortable year-round is a critical part of building positive relationships—and increasing renewal rates. While heating and cooling systems can break without warning, a yearly maintenance plan helps minimize the risk of your renters dealing with cold nights and no heat or hot summers without air-conditioning.
Your maintenance plan should include heating and cooling inspections and maintenance by a trained technician. During a lease term, make sure to schedule these tasks to keep renters comfortable. When conducting your makeready process, check the systems again before a new renter moves in.
4. Inspect For Leaks or Water Damage
A slow leak can cause tremendous (and expensive) damage before you realize what happened. Renters have a responsibility to report a leak if they find one in your rental. However, sometimes leaks happen within walls or under flooring without any visible signs of a problem—before it’s too late to catch it and prevent damage.
Your routine inspections should include inspecting pipes, walls, flooring, and basements for signs of water leaks and damage. Our Northern Virginia property management team checks for damp walls or floors, bubbling paint, smells of mold or mildew, and other signs that your rental has a leak. When we see signs of a problem, we take care of it with quick, quality repairs to minimize damage and prevent additional issues.
5. Repair Bathroom Caulk and Grout
It’s common for caulk and grout to shrink and crack as normal wear-and-tear. Cracked caulking allows moisture into seams and behind walls, which can lead to mold and mildew growth.
Property inspections provide an opportunity to check and repair damaged caulk and grout. During the makeready process, it’s a smart idea to remove existing grout and replace it with fresh caulking that seals seams and presents a fresh, clean bathroom for your new renters.
Grout and caulking are easy to overlook during routine repairs, but it’s a critical part of a well-maintained Northern Virginia rental home!
A Property Manager Keeps Rentals in Tip-Top Shape
Real estate investors don’t have to worry about these five essential tasks—or any maintenance at all—when partnering with the best Northern Virginia property management team! RentSimple has the right experience and a network of vetted contractors to keep your rental properties well-maintained and competitive in this market.
When you trust us with your real estate investments, we make sure every property complies with safety regulations while reducing significant repair costs with our routine inspections and maintenance services. Here, we also have a Make-Ready Checklist ready for you to download, and it’s free!
