It’s important for landlords to service maintenance and repairs on their rental property. Many Dallas real estate investors want to know – why is that exactly? Do I have to?
One of the main reasons is to keep tenants happy. If tenants don’t want to continue their stay, then the property owner has higher turnover, resulting in loss of income and increased expenses. Another reason the property owner needs to service repairs, is to maintain the value of the property. It’s no surprise that if the property owner defers maintenance and repairs, the property will suffer. Huntahome is a leading Dallas property manager. We have the resources and skill set to balance these expenses and keep your tenants happy!
Common Repairs for Rental Property
Every property is different, however, there is a common list of repairs that occur from time to time. Tenants experience these issues during their stay and report to Dallas property management when they occur. All maintenance requests are submitted in writing. Tenants can of course contact us for emergency repairs, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Typically any repair costs exceeding $300 requires property owner’s authorization. Huntahome will share this information to the investor with time stamped photos and itemized estimate description. We want you to be in the know of any costly issues. No surprise expenses without your consent. Strong communication and teamwork to find a quality solution and a fair price.
Garbage Disposal
How many times have you heard this? Many tenants make the mistake of peeling onions in the sink or skinning potatoes. Here recently we had a tenant jam a plastic tablespoon. Disposals are machines and hard to break. The most common reason they go out is because they are vintage. If it’s over 15 years old, replace it and not fund repairs on the unit. If it’s a newer model, try pressing the reset button underneath the disposal hopper. This button is generally pea size and located along the edge. Flip the switch. If this doesn’t work, the unit is jammed and requires additional service. Insert a hex key into the access point, located underneath the hopper, by reset button. Rotate counter clockwise and unlock the jam. Now run hot water and flip the switch! This is the most common way to fix a garbage disposal.
Garage Door
Automatic garage doors can be problems at times. Batteries in the remotes go out and create confusion. They also jam up if they come down on a bicycle or truck tailgate. Always check the sensors located on the lower track at ground level. If these are not aligned, they will not allow the door to shut. This is a great safety feature, but can confuse tenants who have little experience with garage door systems.
Toilet
Don’t flush that! Everybody knows right from wrong, but some people just don’t understand that toilets are not trash cans. They stop up from time to time. Mostly due to foreign objects getting stuck. If you own rental property, all you can hope for is that in the event that a toilet clogs, the tenant knows how to react and shut off the water. This is why two story homes have increased risk compared to one story homes. Upstairs toilets can create issues and damage floors on each level, including ceilings and walls. The water cut off valve is located on the wall behind the toilet. This is step one. A standard plunger is a great tool to pressure the line and create clearance. The line needs to be snaked if it is severely clogged or creating back flow into the bathtub or shower.
Maintain Quality and Value
Huntahome understands the full circle of residential property management. It doesn’t matter if your home is located in Dallas, Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Mckinney or Fort Worth – our team has you covered! Our management team is licensed and trained to provide quality property management services for your investment. We handle all maintenance requests, including common repairs from tenants and make ready for market.
Partner up with the property manager leading the pack here in DFW!