It’s officially June, which means that the date of the beginning of summer is steadily approaching. It may be hard to believe that the year is nearly half-over, but this means that you have to begin to think about summer maintenance that may need to be taken care of in and around your property. The sooner you get this out of the way, the sooner you can get to other business and enjoy the weather!
Make Sure to Undertake Summer Maintenance
“As the weather heats up and school lets out, you will find that your tenants spend more and more time outside, prepare in advance for this occurrence to ensure that your tenants are safe and happy this summer season.” This means taking the time to perform a general inspection, a look around the interior and exterior, making a note of anything that seems broken and in need of repair or a touch-up. You also should send out a notice to tenants or residents and have them do the same within their units, such as making sure their HVAC system works and more. It may be that they have an issue that they’ve put off reporting or have simply forgotten about, so they may appreciate the reminder.
Don’t forget that a little preventative maintenance goes a long way. If you take the time to do these inspections and get in touch with tenants or residents now, then you’ll save a lot down the road. You especially want to make sure that all of your outdoor amenities are up and running since this is the time of year when they are in highest demand. They’ll also be used frequently, assuming that they’re functioning, so take care of that pool, green space, etc. more than ever during these warm months.
Speaking of the pool… if you have one on the property, then “make certain that any necessary permits are up-to-date, and that any posted safety signs are not faded or illegible.” This is a big safety hazard and so all measures to prevent accidents should be taken care of. Any and all rules should be clearly visible and posted around the area as well as explained, say, on your website or in leases. You want to protect the people on your property as well as yourself (from legal damage).
Outdoor space in which people can relax and enjoy themselves are highly coveted, especially in urban areas. Whether it’s a patio or a rooftop deck, make sure that you have everything covered before the season really kicks off. In fact, the best way to let everyone know that things are up and running is to host an event, like a cocktail hour, in this space after your summer maintenance tasks are over. Get the grill fired up and clear off the chairs and tables to prepare for a summer celebration that your renters will be talking about all season.
Don’t forget, though, that using the grill is one part of what adds increased risk of fires to the summer months. If you have dried grass or other plants around the property, then those, too, can be hazardous if, say, someone tosses a cigarette near them and they ignite. This is a good reason to get your sprinkler system checked up on, both because it can help prevent fires started by dry vegetation while also cutting back on your wasteful water use with an older sprinkler model.
You don’t want to act as a parent to renters, but sometimes it can be necessary. If they are spending more time outside or in other public areas, make sure to remind everyone of the rules requiring the open hours of those spaces along with the conditions of noise violations. If they’re following the rules and acting as model tenants and residents, though, then this may be a good time to handle lease renewals. After all, people are generally in better spirits this time of year, and it could be to your benefit!
Summer maintenance may not be fun, but it’s definitely necessary for both safety and tenant retention. For a little extra help with things like facilities maintenance and much, much more, test out SKYLINE Property Management & Accounting Software. SKYLINE is the perfect tool for covering all of your work duties as a property manager in an efficient and straightforward way. Pick and choose the options that are right for your business and give it a try!