Out of state property maintenance

[Bryan Satter]

As an out of state investor I am dependent on my property manager to update me on status of property. We talk regularly, but that doesn't mean I am always fully aware of any potential deferred maintenance or tenant treatment of the place. I had one property in Texas (I live outside Boston) that the PM never checked in 2 years. Rents were collected, all was well. Until tenants moved out and we found they had been smoking and did expensive damage to ventilation units, as well as other damage. 

In general, how do other out of state investors keep on top of routine maintenance? Gutter cleaning. HVAC maintenance. Furnace servicing, etc.? Or even multi-year tenant treatment of the units? Do you have a schedule that you keep? Do you have PM go into property with any regularity? 

Thanks!

[Dick Rosen]

WE do periodic inspections with pictures and comment, they are all uploaded to the owners portal so they can always see what the property looks like and they can read our suggestions for maintenance etc. We do this monthly on multi family because we need to monitor the landscape and we do it quarterly on SF where the tenants are responsible for the landscape. We also do interior safety inspections periodically just so we can get a good look at what's going on inside the property.

Most of my clients are out of state and they rarely come to visit or look. They are certainly welcome to but I try to give them what they need from the comfort of there own home.

I didn't mean for that to sound like a sales pitch, I'm just saying how we counteract the problem you are having.