In Washington State, the landlord-tenant law gives landlords between 24 hours and 10 days to complete any repairs that a tenant reports. That’s just one reason why it makes sense to have an in-house maintenance team available to your property manager. Another great reason is this: unresolved maintenance issues is the number one reason that tenants move out of rental properties.
We discovered that bringing maintenance in-house provides us with the control we need to ensure all of the legal timelines are followed perfectly. It’s our job to make sure you don’t get sued. No one wants to end up in court. So we make sure all repairs are done quickly. Our maintenance team is educated enough to know how to troubleshoot a maintenance situation. You wouldn’t go to a neurosurgeon to treat your cold, so why would you need to hire a plumber to simply unclog a toilet? It makes the difference between a charge for the plumber’s service call and the minimal cost to unclog a toilet.
Our maintenance team can also inspect while they’re at your property. This is a useful tool in making sure the tenants are taking care of the properties and your home isn’t being treated poorly. They report to us any concerns or indications that the lease is not being followed, and we know what to do if there are any issues.
If there’s a problem beyond the scope of what our team can do, we will outsource it. A certified roofer needs to replace your roof and a certified electrician will do major electrical work. That makes sense. Our vendors work for us all the time, so they understand the legal timelines. They will keep your property maintained. The extra control we have over maintenance equals a quicker turnaround. That means lower costs for you and happier tenants. Happy tenants will stay in a property for longer, which means more money for you.
Some people believe that having an in-house maintenance company is a conflict of interest, but I see our relationship as a long-term one. I’ll be managing your property for at least a year, maybe 20 years. Your house becomes like my house. The people who work on your property also work on my property. I know their ethics and their quality of work. And I know they will take care of your house the way they take care of mine. That’s really why in-house maintenance is a good idea.
If you have any questions about the benefits of in-house maintenance, please contact us at Joseph Property Management, and we’d be happy to tell you more.