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Updated 10 months ago, 03/18/2024
PM maintenance team overcharging hours?
I own a single family rental in SC, just south of Charlotte, NC. Our property management company is based in central Charlotte, about 30 minutes north. My tenants recently submitted two separate maintenance requests to replace the doorbell and replace the kitchen faucet sprayer head (just the head). Anyone who’s performed these tasks knows each one takes about 5 minutes. And our property is 5 minutes from Lowe’s, so parts aren’t an issue.
The PM’s maintenance team charged 3 hours for each separate job, stating that they include drive time from their office. When I asked about the job times, they agreed to reduce the doorbell charge but held firm on 3 hours for the faucet because they claimed it took time to troubleshoot.
So I have three questions: 1) is it standard to charge owners for drive time from the prior job site or office; 2) am I crazy to think these are egregious overcharges; and 3) what actions can I take beyond requesting that they review and lower the charges?