The average lifespan of a stove is about 10-15 years. After the appliance has reached that mark, it will begin showing signs of issues. In some cases, it may stop working altogether.
For landlords in San Francisco Bay, this problem can be classified as an emergency. You'll need to have it fixed right away to preserve the health and quality of life of your tenants.
Emergency property maintenance can be stressful for everyone involved. Check out these landlord tips to learn how to take care of it.
1. Gather Information and Evaluate the Situation
The first step of San Francisco Bay property maintenance is to gather information. When your tenant calls you with an emergency, ask them about their surroundings. What's happening, and what do they see?
From there, you can evaluate the situation to come up with a plan of action. Oftentimes, a problem that a tenant believes is an emergency can wait until the following morning. In other instances, you may need to call a professional to fix the issue that night.
2. Walk Your Tenants Through the Problem
You may need to walk your tenants through certain steps to prevent their emergency situation from getting worse.
For example, instructing a tenant on how to turn off their main water valve can prevent flooding while you work on getting an emergency plumber to come out to the rental property.
3. Make a Few Phone Calls of Your Own
Once you get off the phone with your tenant, get on the phone with a professional who can fix the problem. Explain the situation to them.
They may be able to walk you through a temporary fix that will put a bandaid on the issue until they can get to it themselves.
4. Drive to the Property
Depending on your tenant's situation, it may be best for you to drive out to your San Francisco Bay property. As a real estate investor, you'll want to inspect the extent of the damage.
If you know a fix to the problem, going to the property will allow you to handle the situation quickly instead of attempting to walk the tenant through the repair process.
5. Be Proactive With Your Property Maintenance
The last step is to be proactive with your San Francisco Bay property maintenance. Always perform move-in and move-out inspections to stay on top of the condition of your property.
You should also perform seasonal inspections to keep your property in good shape. Many landlords hire property management companies to schedule these inspections and keep up with regular maintenance.
Handling Emergency Repairs in Your San Francisco Bay Property
Property maintenance can be stressful. When a tenant calls you late in the evening with an emergency, take a moment to examine the situation. Determine if it can wait until the following morning, and be sure to get a professional on the phone.
As a landlord, you have a lot on your plate. Put our property management team in charge of handling your maintenance requests. Contact Kenny Realty today to learn more about our services.
Evan has been in the real estate and property management field for 6+ years. He is experienced in working with first time home buyers, is an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®), Seller Representative Specialist® (SRS) and Seniors Real Estate Specialist®(SRES®). He also works closely with Kenny Realty owners, getting their rental properties rented as quickly as possible. Evan is responsible for monitoring rental market conditions and advising our owners on market rates. He has outstanding communication with all clients he works with, keeping everyone in the loop at all times. He is the third generation of the Kenny family to practice property management on the peninsula.