Falling behind on the routine maintenance your Nashville rental property needs can be dangerous. Not only will you find frustrated tenants, you’ll also put your property at risk. Routine maintenance protects you from expensive emergency repairs. It protects the condition of your investment. More importantly, it increases the value of that asset. 

Keep up with your repairs, replacements, and even your improvements. If you find that you don’t have the time nor the vendor resources to stay on top of your routine maintenance needs, it’s time to partner with a Nashville property manager. We have systems in place for:

• Accepting maintenance requests from tenants.
• Diagnosing problems and making decisions and recommendations. 
• Contracting with reliable, cost-effective vendors. 
• Keeping you and your tenants in the loop when it comes to how repairs are moving along. 
• Documenting the work that was done. 

Let’s take a look at why it’s so important to fulfill your maintenance responsibilities, and how a professional property manager can help you do it better.

You Don’t Need the Emergency Repair Drama

Routine repairs are important because they avoid emergencies later. 

Most emergencies are dramatic. There’s a flood or a fire or the sewer line is backed up or the water heater has exploded. Accidents, roof issues, and problems with locks, water heaters, and heat are often the reasons that tenants will request emergency maintenance. 

Unexpected things will happen from time to time. There’s not a lot you can do to completely prevent the random emergency repair. 

However, with regular maintenance inspections and services, you’ll likely see some danger signs before they turn into maintenance emergencies. Checking sinks, tubs, and toilets for minor leaks, for example, can prevent a major plumbing disaster. 

Take care of small fixes right away. You’ll save time and money on emergency responses.

Nashville Rental Home Condition

You want to make money on your investment property, and to do that, you need a well-maintained home. 

Well-maintained homes will be useful and attractive for a longer period of time. If you stay on top of routine maintenance, you won’t have to replace your roof, your HVAC system, your water heater, or your plumbing as often. 

Make routine and preventative maintenance a priority, and you’ll preserve the condition and value of your property a little bit longer. You’ll earn more money from it, so those minor routine maintenance expenses from time to time are worth your time and your resources. 

Major repairs will always be needed, no matter how much work you put into the property, but the benefits of doing that ongoing maintenance will greatly outweigh the costs.

Maintaining the systems, appliances, structure, and even the curb appeal and landscaping of your property will allow you to charge more in rent. Tenants will be willing to pay more for a home that is modern, updated, and in good condition. You’ll stand out in the market, especially when competing properties are showing signs of age, deterioration, and wear and tear. 

Routine maintenance will keep your rental value high and you’ll also increase your equity, because as your tenant continues to contribute to your mortgage and other expenses, the value of that property will continue to rise. Maintenance is an investment.

Deferred Maintenance is Expensive and Not Worth the Headaches

Another reason not to fall behind on routine maintenance is that it protects your property from the effects and expense that comes with deferred maintenance. All owners are tempted to put a minor repair on the back burner. That’s why you have a property manager; we take care of these things right away. We can, with our extensive network of vendors and contractors. 

Nothing gets easier or less expensive with time. If you ignore a needed repair and don’t fix it right away, it’s only going to get worse. 

Keep up with the routine maintenance issues and take care of everything as soon as you learn of it, no matter how minor. 

Educate your tenants on your maintenance process. They need to know that you expect to be informed as soon as something breaks. You don’t want them to hesitate or delay making a maintenance request. 

Maintained Homes Attract Tenants in Nashville

What do you think the best tenants in Nashville are looking for? They want to live in a home that’s well-maintained, welcoming, and attractive. They’ll be looking at whether you seem to take care of the home when they browse the photos in your listing and arrive for a showing. 

To attract the best possible tenants, you have to offer a home that clearly benefits from routine maintenance. 

You’ll also do a better job of retaining tenants. Maintenance plays a huge role in this. 

When your residents make a maintenance request, you’ll need to take care of the issue right away. Maybe it’s a simple garbage disposal reset that doesn’t seem worth your time or energy. It is worth a maintenance visit, however, because it means you get to take a larger look around the property and its systems. So when you respond right away to that garbage disposal problem, you’re showing your tenants that you care about the condition of your home. You’re also taking the opportunity to make sure there aren’t any additional problems that may need attention.

Retaining tenants will responsive maintenance will reduce your vacancy and turnover costs. It’s better for your property and for your bottom line. 

Performing routine maintenance on your property also delivers peace of mind. You know that things inside the home are being maintained property, and you have a seasonal schedule of preventative maintenance items that need attention. That often means a lot less anxiety and frustration. Major repairs are unpleasant, and it’s better to be prepared before things go wrong.  

If the idea of responding right away to maintenance issues feels like it won’t be possible, you need a property manager. If you don’t have the time to invest or the expertise to understand what is needed at your property, talk to a management company. It’s better for you, your property, and your tenants. We’d be happy to help. Contact us at TCS Management.

TCS Management is a full service property management company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also serving Cherry Hill, NJ, Wilmington, Delaware, Nashville, Tennessee and the surrounding areas. We focus on single-family and multifamily residential property management of homes, condos, townhomes, and apartment buildings.