Mastering maintenance is required when you’re renting out a property in Los Angeles. 

Maintenance and upkeep affects your property condition, your rental value, and your ability to retain residents. The number one reason tenants give for leaving a rental property is that they are dissatisfied with how their maintenance requests are handled. From their perspective, they are paying a lot of money to live in your rental home, and they expect everything to work correctly all the time. When something breaks, they want it fixed fast and with little hassle.

That’s the bare minimum of what you should provide.

If you’re not going above and beyond what’s required when it comes to maintenance, you’re missing an opportunity to improve and protect the value and the condition of your investment. You’re also chasing away really good residents and inviting extra vacancy and turnover costs. 

When you partner with our talented Los Angeles property management team, you’ll notice we take care of every rental property we manage as if it was our own investment. We pay attention to detail. We prioritize preventative maintenance, we make sure we’re responsive to tenant requests, and we stay one step ahead of the next emergency. 

Our maintenance processes are designed to keep up with the needs of your property and keep your costs down while retaining tenants with exceptional customer service. We are committed to preventative maintenance, licensed and insured vendors, and complete satisfaction. 

If you’re not sure how to get ahead of the maintenance and repairs that your Los Angeles rental property will always need, talk to us. Our experience and our resources allow for an expert-led maintenance process. We keep your property in top shape.

Here are some of our best tips on how to master maintenance. 

Plumbing is Always a Priority when Maintaining Los Angeles Rental Homes

Not a day goes by that we don’t have a plumbing issue with one of our properties. Even if your rental home is in tip-top shape, there’s likely to be a plumbing issue at some point. Water is a pretty consistent problem when it comes to rental homes. Leaks and even slow drips in Los Angeles rental properties will cause a lot of damage quickly. 

Never ignore those small leaks. Inspect your plumbing whenever you can, whether it’s during a turnover or a routine maintenance walk-through. If water is allowed to pool, you’re looking at the potential for rot and mold as well as water damage. Make sure you have a great plumber available to you, and be proactive in avoiding plumbing issues.  

You’ll want to look under sinks for evidence of moisture or drips. If your landscaping includes sprinklers, make sure they’re not rusted or leaking. Check the water heater and drain it when necessary. Keep up with caulking around sinks, tubs, and toilets, and look at your roof periodically for any indication that water might be seeping inside.  

Preventative Maintenance and HVAC Units

After plumbing, the next most common maintenance request typically revolves around heating and cooling systems. Your HVAC system is expensive, and you want to extend the life of this system for as long as you can. 

That’s why preventative maintenance is your best resource. Contract with an HVAC technician to inspect and service your system annually. This will help you maintain it and avoid those calls in the middle of summer when the air conditioning goes out.  

You want to keep expensive systems like the HVAC running as efficiently and effectively as possible. Preventative maintenance can reduce ongoing repair costs and contribute to better air quality and temperature control in your rental property.

Inspect Your Rental Property’s Roof Consistently

How does your roof look? This is critical information, even though you likely don’t think about the roof as often as you think about the appliances or the landscaping or the floors. Get someone on the roof every year or so in order to be sure it looks good and isn’t in any danger of collapsing, losing shingles, or allowing pests and water inside the property.  

Investing in annual and seasonal maintenance on your roof can end up saving you thousands of dollars. It’s so much easier to replace a few shingles than it is to replace an entire roof. So, prioritize roof care. Work with a roof inspector or a licensed roofing vendor who can climb onto your roof to take a look. This should be part of your preventative maintenance routine. 

Ask your roofer to look for loose, damaged or missing shingles that need replacing. It’s also a good idea to inspect the chimney flashing as well as any vents that may invite leaks. Patch up anything that needs work and enjoy the peace of mind that your roof is in good shape. 

Los Angeles Rental Home Safety 

Safety is a maintenance issue. Check the locks on your doors and windows. Do they open and close easily? Are there shrubs or trees that impair the front of the property, making it easy for burglars to hide? How’s the exterior lighting? Are parking areas safe and well-lit? 

Take the time to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your rental property. Double-check their placement. Are they in the right spots as required by law? You want to be sure the batteries are changed, if you are using battery operated models, and that these detectors are functional. 

Look for loose railings, carpet or linoleum that’s pulling up, and any trip and fall hazards. Are there any other safety issues at your property that need attention? Check in with your tenants. 

Partner with Los Angeles Tenants to Maintain Your Property 

It’s your responsibility as a property owner to maintain your rental home and pay for any necessary and routine repairs. You will have to budget for repairs and replacements, unless the tenant causes damage. 

While your responsibility is to keep the property safe, habitable, and functional, you can still set up some expectations for your tenants. They’re the ones living in the home, so they’ll be the first line of defense when something goes wrong in your unit. 

Partner with your Los Angeles tenants when it comes to taking care of the home. You can expect them to report maintenance needs right away. This will avoid larger expenses and bigger problems. You can also expect your tenants to take some preventative maintenance measures, such as changing air filters routinely. 

A good move-in process includes sharing your expectations with tenants. Communication must be open and transparent. Be clear and direct about how you want maintenance reported. Will you expect a phone call for an emergency? Probably, but it might be better to get routine repair requests in writing. It allows you to document the problem and your response. 

Put Together a Preferred List of Vendors and Contractors

Vendors, contractors, and service providers are busier than ever. There’s a lot of demand for the work that they do, and lately, there’s not been enough labor to keep up with that demand. So, you can expect higher maintenance costs and potentially a wait when you need something done. 

That’s a problem when your tenant reports an issue with the plumbing or the electrical outlets or the heating. The vendors you call out of the blue won’t always have the help they need or the capacity to meet your needs at the moment.  

But, you can’t have a solid maintenance plan without a great team of professionals who will take care of the work that your property will ultimately need. Your handyman can likely take care of minor issues, but when it comes to specialized work like plumbing, electricity, roofing, and HVAC maintenance, you want to establish relationships with licensed and insured professionals. 

Here is the most important maintenance tip we can give you: Develop these vendor relationships before you need them. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself looking for a plumber in the middle of the night and you’ll have trouble finding one. 

Upgrade and Improve Your Investment Property When You Can

When your trusted vendors recommend a replacement instead of a repair, listen to that advice. 

Sometimes, maintenance requests are an opportunity to upgrade and improve your property. 

Appliances are an excellent example. Maybe your tenant will call to tell you that the refrigerator isn’t keeping anything cold or it’s leaking every couple of days. If you’ve already had to repair an essential part of that fridge twice this year, maybe replace it instead. This will please your tenant, and it will also eliminate any future repairs you might have to make on that particular appliance. 

Invest in minor and cost-effective renovations when you can. Tile backsplash in the kitchen, for example, or shiny new faucets in the bathroom. By making small upgrades and updates, you’re maintaining your property proactively. You’re also working towards better tenant retention and higher rental values. 

One of the best ways to put together a responsive and professional maintenance plan is with the help of a professional Los Angeles property management company. We can expertly protect the condition of your home and to ensure it’s safe and habitable for your tenants. We’ll save you money with preferred vendors and careful attention to preventative maintenance.

Would you like to hear more maintenance tips that are personalized for you and your property? Please get in touch with us and we’ll tell you more. Contact us at El Camino Property Management.