Completing maintenance and repairs at your Kona rental property requires a process, a budget, and a lot of
communication. You don’t want to take care of things cheaply because you’ll only have to make the same repair again and again. When you’re responding to your resident’s maintenance requests, make sure you’re doing so with quality in mind. This is an important part of your tenant retention plan. You have to be responsive to their needs, and you have to make sure the work is done quickly and completely.
One of the main reasons tenants leave the properties they’re renting is because the repair requests they make are ignored or avoided. To minimize vacancies and turnover costs at your Kona rental property, make sure you have a process in place to respond to those maintenance issues. Professional maintenance practices not only keep your residents happy and secure, they also protect the condition of your investment.
Establish a Process for Requesting and Responding to Maintenance
Your residents will need to know how to get in touch with you if there’s a repair that needs to be made. That’s the first part of your process. If you’re concerned that you can’t be as responsive as you need to be, or you don’t have the relationships in place with local vendors and contractors, consider reaching out to a
Kona property management company. Otherwise, you can expect to be available to residents 24 hours a day in case there’s an emergency.
For emergencies, your tenants should know to call you right away, unless they need to call the fire department or 9-1-1 first.
For general repairs, it’s our recommendation that you ask your residents put the maintenance request in writing. This will keep the process well-documented, professional, and accountable. You can have tenants send an email or text you with the problem. Then, you can respond in writing and follow up with them after the work is complete. Everything will be in writing, and you can refer to those records when future maintenance needs arise or if there’s a dispute about work that was completed.
Quality and Satisfaction Requires Responsiveness
It’s critical that you respond to emergencies right away. Residents need running water and air conditioning in Kona. They need electricity and security in a habitable rental home.
Responding to routine maintenance requests with the same sense of urgency is good customer service. If a tenant reports that a toilet isn’t flushing but the home has two or three toilets, it might not seem like a request you need to handle right away. But, you should still get to it as soon as possible for these reasons:
- Fast action shows the tenants that you’re responsive and you care about their needs.
- You’re protecting the value of your asset. Small problems don’t become easier or cheaper with time. That toilet problem could lead to other problems that are only going to be more expensive if left alone. Don’t leave deferred maintenance for later. It’s better for your investment to fix and replace things right away.
Make a Point to Invest in Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is the best way to keep your investment and your residents safe. When you have a good preventative maintenance plan, you’ll ensure the systems and functions of your investment live longer and work more effectively. Have your HVAC system inspected and serviced annually. Clean out the gutters at least once a year, and have your home inspected for plumbing leaks and electrical issues.
We take care of all these things for you when we
manage your Kona rental property, and we ensure there is satisfaction and quality. If you have any questions, please
contact us at Hawaiian Dream Properties.
