Landlords and property managers are responsible for keeping properties well-maintained and for responding to emergency and routine repairs needs. To do this effectively, it’s important to develop relationships with local vendors and contractors who can be relied upon to do great work quickly and affordably.
We often talk to owners who have no idea where to find a plumber or an electrician or even someone to clean a property during turnovers. We have some tips on how to find those vendors, and what you should be looking for when you hire someone.
Look for Licensed and Insured Vendors
It’s important to work with licensed and insured vendors only. You might consider hiring someone off the street or asking your cousin Bob to do some work around the house, but this is risky. If you hire someone who isn’t licensed and insured, you are taking on a lot of liability. What if that person falls off a ladder or electrocutes himself while making a repair? You’re going to be sued, and you’ll probably have to pay for medical bills and other expenses.
There’s also a risk that the work won’t be done properly. Spending $1,000 on a repair that’s done well is much more cost effective than paying $300 the first time but $2,000 the second time in order to fix the bad work that was done.
Establish Relationships Before you Need Help
If your tenant calls with an emergency in the middle of the night or over a holiday weekend, it’s not the best time to be reaching out to vendors you’ve never worked with before. It’s better to have relationships established so they know who you are when you call. Ask for referrals and get to know the best professionals in each field. Schedule recurring inspections and services. For example, heating and cooling systems should be serviced at least once a year, you should have your landscaping inspected and maintained, and you’ll want ongoing pest control. When you have service contracts in place with vendors, calling them during an emergency is much easier.
Professional Bellevue Property Management
Working with a professional property manager relieves you of the burden you face in putting together a list of qualified vendors. Property management companies work with repair people all the time, and you won’t have to find your own plumber or HVAC technician.
It’s even better when you work with a property management company that has an in-house maintenance team of their own. At Real Estate Gladiators, we have in-house maintenance professionals who can respond quickly to the repair needs of our tenants and owners. You won’t have to deal with scheduling issues and you’ll know that a qualified professional is taking care of the work. This also helps us to keep prices down for our property owners.
We’d be happy to refer some great vendors or to talk to you further about how to screen vendors and choose the best people to get the job done. Contact us at Real Estate Gladiators if you’d like to learn more.
