Maintenance Scheduling Systems for Property Management 

Maintaining a large rental portfolio can be very profitable for your business, however remembering that you will have to physically maintain these properties as well is another thing. You must have a dependable maintenance team to be able to service your unit if there is a repair that needs to be made (which is inevitable).  You can either use outside contractors or hire within your company and have them on payroll. The latter will be the least expensive and most reliable option for your properties. However, it is important to have subcontractors in your back pocket if a larger repair is needed.  

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when hiring a subcontractor for your business. Items such as Certificates of Insurance, Licenses, and other documentation will be needed to ensure that your company is covered and in good standing. We cover these items in a previous article linked here: http://goodmanproperties.net/blog/deciding-on-the-best-vendors-for-your-property-maintenance/?fbclid=IwAR3zjstb5WjvYooMwBKSPm0tJ3ns9nw53urWGya0O_z57gS46Tc6pSG12Bk 

One thing you will want to add to your property management system is a dedicated maintenance system that allows for organization, automated reminders, and record keeping. It is important to have a system so that your team can track when maintenance has been completed in the past if there is a recurring issue with a specific repair. Having a good record that is organized will make your life and your maintenance technician’s life so much easier.  

Maintenance Technology 

In the past maintenance work order systems were only paper-based. You would issue a work order to your maintenance tech, then you would wait for the information to be completed, and once returned, you will file it away, probably never to be seen again (let’s be honest). With today’s technology systems available, you never need to pick up a pen and paper. Everything is recorded digitally from the moment the work order is created to the moment that it is closed. Technicians can enter information about the repair right on the app and even add photos if needed.  

Many property managers prefer to have a hybrid of this technology and paperwork, however. Some maintenance technicians are not as tech-savvy as the technology has become. Recording the work order digitally is imperative to have an accurate record of repairs. This saves time because you can do your past research with the click of a button, and it saves space because you will not have to keep cabinets and cabinets full of past work orders for your records.  

Real-Time Record Keeping 

Using the latest technology for your maintenance staff allows your company to have real-time data recorded. Using paperwork orders can cause a delay of at least a day because by the time you receive the completed work orders, the repair was completed hours and hours ago. Keeping track of these items as they are completed helps your maintenance staff have a better idea of what they still have open to focus on and will allow you, as the property management team, to know what work orders have been completed.  

 

Automated Responses 

You can even create automated responses to go out at various parts of the process. For instance, when you receive a work order request, an automated response can be generated back to the tenant stating that their service issue has been received and is currently being scheduled. You can also have an automated email sent out to the tenant that includes a survey for the tenant to respond to regarding the service they received from their service issue. This is great because it takes a load off the leasing staff’s tasks, so they can dedicate their time to other projects. 

In conclusion, it is beneficial for all parties to make your maintenance system more technology-based. There are plenty of options available and it is important to weigh what options are available for your company based on the size and location of it. Your property management software may also have that technology built into the system, making transitioning that much simpler. I recommend reaching out to your property management software company to see what options are available for your team.