Management of the physical asset is a crucial part of the overall management process for it can significantly affect the value of the property. The appearance and condition of the building and grounds help determine the type of residents attracted, the rent structure, resident satisfaction, turn-over, and rent collection. The prime reasons given by residents who withhold rent and/or other monies are poor maintenance or inadequate response to service requests.
Prompt, effective maintenance and a courteous maintenance staff can turn resident dissatisfaction into resident cooperation, frequent breakdowns into smooth operations, and negative returns into positive cash flow.
Maintenance of the physical asset is an ongoing process. It can be broken down into four main categories:
Our maintenance program requires support and cooperation from everyone involved in the management process. It was developed with care and will be continually reexamined to achieve the desired objectives, which include satisfying residents and maintaining the integrity of the physical asset. Our program seeks a balance among planned maintenance, responsive maintenance, and deferred maintenance.
Uncontrolled maintenance causes more confusion, hard feelings, duplicated effort, and damage than any other service in the property management business.
Control is a problem because we must deal with so many companies--roofers, plumbers, locksmiths, painters, cleaners, carpenters, electricians, etc.--each with different schedules, different skills, and different costs (and some with the same skills at different costs). Orchestrating these resources efficiently is difficult.
Since, as a property manager, all we really have to offer is service, uncontrolled, unorganized maintenance service ultimately costs us and you money. These problems tend to accumulate quietly and then explode.
Our repair and maintenance personnel will suffer the frustration and misdirection that disorganization causes. Jobs won't be planned properly--there will be last-minute scrambles for information, directions, keys, and replacement parts. It might take repeated repair calls to fix simple problems. It will become more and more difficult to keep professional repair companies working for us under these conditions. Wasted time costs them money and they also have a business reputation to protect.
Our tenants will be unhappy with incomplete repairs and poor quality work. Worse still, because of the hassles and lack of consideration, they might fail to report "minor" problems which could later prove to be very expensive if left unrepaired. And they certainly won't recommend our company to potential tenants or clients.
Our clients will be dissatisfied (and usually very vocal) with over-priced repairs and the gradual deterioration of the property value caused by neglect. The fact that we could oversee repair and maintenance is one of the reasons you chose to use a professional property manager in the first place.
We avoid these problems and take control of our repair and maintenance services by following the steps explained below:
This is not an order for the work to be done--it is a request, by the tenant, that a job be done. This is an important point--we certainly do not perform every repair call we receive from your tenants. This form organizes and "formalizes" this very first step.
The Work Request contains two parts. The first part records the request and all the Important details: date, time, property address, who is requesting the work, home and work phone numbers, who will be home and when, and exactly what is wrong.
This is a telephone interview sheet. It prompts our staff member who is accepting the repair request to ask the right questions and do a more thorough, professional job. Since we are having a conversation with your tenant, we can pinpoint the problem and ask specifics that will save repair personnel valuable time.
It documents the tenant's request. We advise the tenant that this request is being written down--the information will be much more complete and accurate. This is a chance for our staff to reiterate our policy and procedures--your tenant will be more comfortable, confident, and prepared. Also, this is a good chance to redirect requests for maintenance that should be performed by the tenant.
Once the first part of the work request is complete, it is signed by the staff member who took the information and turned in for approval. This is an important step. Except for obvious emergencies, we take the time to review and approve all jobs. The second part of the form allows us to sign and indicate approval or disapproval and note any special problems or requirements.
If the work request is disapproved, the tenant is promptly notified. When this is done, we will note the date, time, and the person we spoke to on the work request. This will avoid misunderstandings.
Even if we disapprove the work request, the tenant may elect to pay for it personally. We have the opportunity to supervise the repair and bill the tenant for the cost. Your tenants will appreciate this--they won't have to spend their time trying to find a competent, reasonably priced repair company--and you will be satisfied that the work will be done properly.
Prior to completing a work order ticket, we will record the job on a Work Order Register, using the control number on the work order ticket to record jobs in chronological order.
The work order register is a summary document. It shows the assigned work order number, the property address, the assignment date, the completion date, who is to do the work, what is to be done, job priority, who approved the work, and any other special remarks.
This is our master control document. It gives us quick and easy access to all ongoing jobs. At a glance, we can see:
It is much easier to monitor our jobs from the register than from a copy of the actual work order. We use the work order register when assigning jobs. Since we can see what work is pending and already assigned, overloading a particular company or repair person can be avoided. Also, if we see that a company is taking too long to complete a job, we can call in the existing work order and reassign it.
Transfer the job information from the approved work order request onto the work order ticket. List all authorized work to be done. By working from the request, we can complete the actual work order ticket neatly, legibly, and understandably. If there are important instructions or clarifying information on the work order request form, we will attach them to the work order ticket. These steps greatly reduce misunderstandings, wasted time, and duplicated effort.
The work order ticket is a three-part form. All three parts are kept together while the job is in progress. Here is how it is broken down and distribute after the job is completed and paid:
We will not give verbal work orders--no matter how small the job may be.
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Last Modified: April 21, 2008 aca