As you build your strategy for maximizing the value of your single-family rental (SFR) investments, preventive maintenance should be a major focus. Use this checklist to help you extend the life of the assets within your SFR properties and capitalize on your investments.
HVAC preventive maintenance helps you protect your SFR investments by avoiding extensive repair costs, early unit replacements and lost revenue from disruptive tenant relocations in the case of an outage. Schedule checks that follow ASHRAE standards for HVAC preventive maintenance with your SFR property services partner twice a year to keep your system in working order.
For example, each year MCS receives a large number of work orders due to backed-up condensate lines, an issue that can result in drywall damage, mold and remediation. With a proper preventive maintenance plan, HVAC condensate lines are “blown out” to help prevent back-up, keep the system operating efficiently and reduce larger repair expenses down the road.
Beyond biannual checks for your overall HVAC system, regular filter changes should get their own checkmark on your preventive maintenance checklist. Replacing HVAC air filters is essential to extending the life of your units. But even though your tenants would experience cleaner air and near-term savings—the U.S. Department of Energy notes that replacing a dirty filter can reduce an A/C’s energy usage by 5% to 15%—it’s a task you shouldn’t hand over to them. Instead, schedule regular filter changes with your SFR property services partner.
Roofs and gutters may be the most frequently neglected maintenance item—until there’s a problem. Avoid big repairs or emergencies through regular inspections and cleaning. Ensure your property services providers check for potentially loose or damaged shingles or tiles and clear gutters regularly to avoid standing water and reduce fire hazards.
Extensively used assets like water heaters require checks to keep them working well—and longer. Because sediment can build and pollute the water in your water heaters, scheduling preventive maintenance checks every year to flush them can help keep them running as efficiently as possible.
Preventive plumbing maintenance can catch small issues before they turn into bigger ones. Have your property services provider regularly check all plumbing fixtures to ensure they’re in working order and are sufficiently tightened or fastened. Drain cleans to avoid backups should also be on your checklist.
Don’t neglect your SFR properties’ exteriors. From ongoing yard upkeep and fence repair to the winterization of sprinkler systems, addressing issues before they become problems via preventive maintenance maximizes your investment in multiple ways, including avoiding costly fines for HOA and other municipal violations.
If you don’t already have a partner for your SFR property maintenance needs, consider MCS. MCS helps you maximize your investments through regular maintenance, with our technology-enabled process and an extensive network of experienced contractors and employees who can support your properties through their entire lifecycle. Contact Jason Myers today to learn more.