Overwhelmed by frequent tenant repair requests

[Paul S.]

Hi everyone.

I have been self-managing a few rental townhouses for about 2 years. I'd say on average, I get called every 2 weeks about repair issues. I have received all kinds of repair requests, e.g. clogged dishwashers, leaks, shattered oven glass, etc. etc. It's hard to say if some incidents are wear-and-tear or damage. Others are clearly damages, but I tend to not charge tenants to maintain good will.

I do not know how to repair everything. I have a full-time job and try to have a life. Sending contractors each time is costly. Paying property management companies ~10% of the rent, not including repair costs, is also costly.

How do fellow landlords deal with the plethora of repair requests? Do you keep a handyman on speed dial, and get a preferred rate each time? Get the tenants to fix small issues themselves? Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Paul

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Paul S.:

I'm managing 400 rentals and have only seen glass break on the oven door 3-4 times. Dishwashers get clogged because people aren't scraping/rinsing dishes and the food builds up in the filter. 

Your Property Manager and the contractors should be able to tell if this is abuse or just coincidence. Has the PM inspected the property? Is the PM asking contractors to look for signs of abuse/neglect?

Someone needs to put eyes on the property and have a chat with the Tenants. Then the PM needs to watch their maintenance requests closely to look for signs of abuse or neglect and hold them accountable.

There's no point to having a property manager if all they do is collect rent and call contractors.