Annual HVAC services and inspections. Routine pest control. Immediate responses to small drips before they become large plumbing disasters.
All of these are examples of routine maintenance. Some of it is preventative and some of it is in response to a tenant’s repair request.
Why is routine maintenance so important when you’re renting out a property in Charleston?
Routine maintenance accomplishes a number of things.
- It helps you protect the condition of your investment, and it keeps your property value high.
- It helps you attract and retain good tenants.
- It helps you increase what you earn in rent every month.
- It reduces the number of emergency maintenance calls you receive.
Here are some of the benefits to putting together a strong and consistent routine maintenance plan.
Routine Maintenance Protects Your Charleston Investment Property
Protecting your property’s condition needs to be a priority, otherwise its value will decrease. When there’s deferred maintenance, there are high repair costs later on. You never want your investment to deteriorate; it won’t be worth as much, and you’ll have a difficult time bringing it back into the condition that you need it to be.
Part of routine maintenance should be preventative maintenance. Fix the problems that are reported right away. And, don’t stop there. Try some of these money-saving preventative maintenance tips:
- Have your HVAC serviced annually. When a qualified technician looks at your heating and cooling system, they’ll be able to tell you what might be on the verge of a breakdown.
- Ask a roofer to check your roof for evidence of water intrusion, missing shingles, rust, or other problems. Fixing them early will prevent a complete roof replacement.
- Stay on top of pest control. A termite infestation can quickly become a major problem.
Routine maintenance is an important part of ensuring your investment stays in good shape now and into the future.
Attracting Better Tenants and Higher Rents
You’ll attract tenants easier when your rental home is well-maintained. No one wants to rent a home that’s falling apart.
Once you have a good tenant in place, a plan for making routine repairs and responding to general maintenance requests will help you retain those tenants. Provide a fast maintenance response when they report that something is broken or in need of a replacement. It’s better for your property and it’s better for your tenant relationships.
Maintain Charleston Homes to Keep Rents High
If you want to maximize what you earn in rent, you need to perform routine maintenance.
Tenants are willing to pay more for properties that are attractive, modern, and clearly well-maintained. Raising the rent every year means keeping up with small repairs, cosmetic improvements, and general updates.
Keeping Emergency Repair Costs Down
Perhaps the best reason to stay on top of routine maintenance is that your emergency repairs will be minimized.
You won’t have to worry about things breaking down in the middle of the night, because you know exactly where you stand in terms of the condition of your home. Those preventative service calls and minor routine fixes will ensure that nothing is left to chance.
Routine maintenance costs are a lot lower than emergency costs. Invest in your routine repairs, and you’ll have a far more profitable investment experience.
If you’d like some help putting together a maintenance plan for your Charleston rental home, please contact us at Charleston Home Rentals. We’d be happy to work with you on all of your leasing, management, and maintenance needs.