Why Preventive Maintenance Is Critical For Your Investment Property

Performing necessary maintenance on a home is an essential task for any homeowner. However, for rental property owners, it is especially important to ensure you engage in maintenance tasks. Preventive maintenance is essential to avoid additional issues down the road.

What Is Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance is a set of home maintenance tasks performed on a regular basis to reduce the likeliness of the home needing repairs or failing later. Most importantly, preventive maintenance tasks are performed before the failure of the home, thus preventing these issues. Preventive maintenance consists of tasks like:

• Changing HVAC filters on a regular basis – ask tenants to change filters at least once every ninety days to aid in airflow and reduce strain.
• Performing semi-annual service of HVAC equipment – addressing mechanical issues and performing basic maintenance should take place every fall for your furnace and every spring for the air conditioning unit.
• Cleaning gutters, downspouts, roof eaves, and valleys – removing clogs and decaying leaf debris each fall prevents excess, trapped water from entering the roof structure.
• Inspection and repair of minor water damage – checking for water damage can help you identify leaks so they can be repaired.
• Repair of caulking – once per year, remove caulking, address any associated water damage, and replace.
• Draining and flushing hot water heaters – servicing a water heater can remove harmful sediment and extend the life of the system.
• Sump pump inspection – if you have a sump pump in the basement, ensure it remains in working order to avoid any surprises during the rainy season.

Why Is Preventive Maintenance Good for Your Property?

Your rental property is a huge investment, as well as a source of passive income that can continue to provide you with positive cash flow for years to come. Preventive maintenance is one method of protecting your investment, allowing you to identify issues when they are small problems. Then, you can address them with the proper small repairs before they result in larger, more expensive issues that need elaborate repairs.

By regularly engaging in maintenance, you or your maintenance tech are able to observe the condition of the home over time, increasing the likelihood that you will notice any previously invisible issues as they appear. In addition, elements such as your HVAC system, roof, doors, windows, and hardware need the necessary attention to continue functioning at a high level. Ensuring your equipment is clean and operable will allow it to run efficiently, saving you even more money in the long run.

Contact Home365 Today

Engaging in preventive maintenance is an important part of being a rental property owner that can optimize the eventual return on your investment. Fortunately, Home365 offers two free preventive maintenance appointments each year for all OneRate customers. For more information about preventive maintenance or to receive a free quote, utilize our online form.