Landlords in Merced have a legal responsibility to keep their rental properties in a habitable condition. For the most part, this means performing routine maintenance and making repairs when needed.
If you've been at it for a while, you've certainly realized that rental property maintenance is one of your biggest expenses. If you're considering hiring a property management firm for easier maintenance coordination, you might be wondering who will be responsible for the maintenance and repair bills.
This article clarifies your maintenance responsibilities and dives into what you can expect when you have a property manager.
But first;
What Is Maintenance Coordination?
Maintaining a rental building isn't as easy as onboarding a new tenant. If you're like most landlords, you have to hire maintenance professionals to inspect the property from time to time and perform the needed maintenance.
If you live near the property, this can be a simpler task since you can be present to supervise the work of the maintenance professionals.
However, if you're an out-of-town landlord or own multiple properties, staying on top of maintenance can quickly become one of your hardest tasks. That's because you need to liaise with several maintenance professionals, all of which you have to pay separately.
Hiring a property management company is an effective way to take this load off your shoulders. The company will leverage its business relationships with maintenance professionals, ensuring your properties are getting the attention and care they deserve.
So, Who Pays?
As a DIY landlord, you must pay the professionals you hire to work on your properties. When you hire a property management company, you're also paying them for their services. But what does this fee cover?
It covers their maintenance coordination efforts, and that's what it ends. Landlords must still pay for repair and maintenance services even when they have hired a full-service property management firm. Ordinarily, the firm will keep you informed about all maintenance and repair jobs, and send you the invoice for payment once they're done.
However, that can change depending on the kind of agreement you have with the firm. If the firm handles rent collection on your behalf and then disburses your income after deducting their property management fees, you can authorize them to pay for maintenance and repairs.
In this case, the firm will settle the bills with their own money and then deduct it once they have collected the month's rent.
That being said, there are instances when you'll still need to step in and handle payment matters. For example, when there are major repairs scheduled and the money required to pay for them can't be raised from the month's rental collection, the company will ordinarily ask you to pay for them.
Property Maintenance Shouldn't Give You a Hard Time
Keeping your property well-maintained isn't just about your legal responsibilities as a landlord. It helps improve tenant retention and preserve the value of your property.
At Chosen Property Management, we can make maintenance coordination a breeze. We're a full-service property management service led by a team with extensive experience in the field.
Give us a call at 209-677-4477 today and we'll help you manage your property. Take a look at our client testimonials for some inspiration.
