We often have people ask us how property managers coordinate the maintenance process. There are a number of different ways to handle this throughout the industry. Some property management companies have in-house maintenance service companies. Others do not provide maintenance work and only take care of managing the repairs with outside vendors. This is a question you will always want to ask a property manager because you’ll need to know if there are any other sources of compensation for that company other than property management.
Most companies will schedule and perform work that’s up to about $250 without your prior approval. That’s going to cover basic repairs and work that can be accomplished quickly and easily. When you get to projects such as garbage disposal replacements, you’re really on the edge of a $250 to $300 price point, so you want to make sure your property management company is willing to reach out to you right away when a repair like that is needed.
For anything that will cost more than $250, you should always be contacted in advance. Your property manager should call you before doing anything that requires an investment, such as a full paint job to the interior or exterior of the house.
Those major repairs will usually occur when you’re turning the house over between tenants. Talk to your property manager about the pre-inspection 
process so you’ll know even before a tenant moves out if you’re going to have to make major improvements to the floor or the walls. It’s much better to handle maintenance this way so you know when the major expenses are coming up.
If you need help understanding maintenance in your rental home, or you’d like some recommendations for local vendors, please contact us at Zabace Property Management, and we’d be happy to tell you more about this topic.
