Rental properties often have recurring maintenance requests that are bi-monthly, monthly, or seasonal. Some examples include:
- Landscaping - mowing, trimming, etc.
- Communal cleaning - vacuuming, dusting, etc.
- Snow removal - shovelling snow from the driveway and walkways
Hemlane's repair coordination package does not include recurring maintenance services. The reason is that Hemlane cannot easily track quality. It requires the coordinator to check in with the tenants and service professional during every visit. We find that both tenants and service professionals are less responsive over time to confirm whether the work is being performed.
Recurring maintenance for single family homes
When your rental property is a single family home, it is very standard to add to the lease that the tenant is responsible for these recurring maintenance requests. The benefits of outlining the tenant's responsibility in the lease include:
- Follow standard practices - It is common for landlords and managers to require the tenants to perform the recurring maintenance. If you were to oversee the maintenance, then you are adding extra administration and cost into your monthly expenses.
- Flexibility for your tenants - By not increasing the rent by the cost of these additional, recurring services, your tenant can determine their level of involvement and oversee the work is being done properly. Tenants will appreciate this.
During the move in it is important to take photos of the existing condition of the landscaping and other recurring maintenance items. The lease should state that tenants are responsible for maintaining at the same condition as upon move in. If the tenants neglect to do so, you can use the security deposit to pay for a landscaper to bring it back to that condition. We also highly recommend semi-annual or annual check ins to confirm the condition.
Note: Hemlane offers annual maintenance services, such as gutter cleaning. However, you are responsible to submit a request into the system every year.
Recurring maintenance for duplexes to multi-family
When more than one lease exists (e.g. a shared backyard for a duplex or apartment complex), then it is the landlord/manager's responsibility to perform the maintenance in communal areas (where there is snow removal, cleaning, landscaping, etc.). There are a couple of ways to ensure quality, but here are Hemlane's recommendations:
- For smaller complexes - Find one quality, local company who can do the work for you. They will send you an invoice and have you set up on automatic payment. Then, you should have an open line of communication with your tenants, where they can inform you if anything is not up to standard.
- For larger complexes - Most likely, you have an onsite manager. This manager should be able to help ensure quality.
We hope that helps explain a bit more about recurring maintenance and the best practices.
Keywords: snow removal, landscaping, gardening, snow removal, snow shovelling