Proactive vs. Reactive Maintenance: Best Practices

Maintenance issues are a routine aspect of property management, but there’s more than one way to go about addressing them.

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to keep your property (or multiple properties) in top shape. Predicting and responding to your building’s operational needs is a cornerstone of your job, and proactivity in addressing those needs will keep your current tenants happy and future prospects interested.

Here’s a quick list of best practices for proactive commercial property maintenance, and why it should be your preferred option over reactive property maintenance.

What Is Reactive Commercial Property Maintenance

Taking a reactive approach to property maintenance means addressing issues as they arise. If, for example, a roof starts leaking or a furnace begins malfunctioning, it will be your job as property manager to call the appropriate parties for repairs. You’ll also need to be on site to talk with the maintenance crew and oversee their fixes.

While this approach certainly gets the job done (provided you react in a timely manner), reactive maintenance comes with a hefty list of negatives. Here are a few:

Added Stress: If your tenants are constantly calling you to fix faulty elements of your property, it will create stress for both parties.

More Expensive: Replacing an entire roof, furnace, or other asset is far costlier than regular checks and quick fixes.

Wasted Time: Time is money, and if you’re spending more of it on repairs and replacements than on upkeep, you’re wasting both.

Distraction: Constant breakdowns and issues can keep your attention away from more proactive solutions and much-needed renovations.

What Is Proactive Commercial Property Maintenance

The opposite side of the maintenance coin is proactivity. Rather than reacting to issues when they happen, proactive property maintenance involves routinely checking your property for problems. By assessing your assets to ensure their continued functionality, issues can be found and corrected before they become emergencies.

Here are some reasons to consider proactive maintenance over reactive maintenance:

Fewer Serious Issues: The sooner you spot an issue, the less likely it’ll develop into something major or even dangerous.

A Money Saver: A quick check of your property will likely prevent expensive breakages down the line.

Greater Tenant Trust: When tenants see you proactively preventing emergencies, they’ll have greater trust in you as a manager.

A Safer Option: Eliminating the risks of reactive maintenance keeps your tenants safe and allows you to stay compliant with local, state and federal regulations.

Proactive Property Maintenance Best Practices

Regular Inspections

You never know when a maintenance issue might strike. That’s why it’s important to keep your proactive inspections as regular as possible. Schedule frequent checkups of your property’s assets and thoroughly check for problems. If you spot one, address it as soon as you can.

Create Preventive Maintenance Plans

You can stay on top of maintenance needs by creating a detailed plan of attack. Prepare a schedule for checkups and inspections based on who or what will be needed for that inspection. Make a list of everything that might need regular maintenance and break it down by category. Keep track of your budget and be sure to allocate enough funds for any problems that might arise.

System Upgrades

Some assets are a higher priority for observation than others. If your property develops issues with its ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems, you’ll be staring down the barrel of significant repair/replacement costs. A proactive approach to updating your systems can keep that cash in your pocket.

Remember to give your HVAC setup, generators, circuit breakers, plumbing and waste-disposal systems regular checks to ensure they’re operating reliably and at top efficiency. Hire professionals to perform these inspections and allow them to make any fixes that might be necessary.

Tenant Communication

A major part of proactive maintenance is responding quickly to tenant concerns. If a tenant contacts you with an issue, dealing with that issue should be a priority. Establish open lines of communication with your tenants that allow them to get in touch with you promptly, then follow through with timely action on their behalf.

Documentation

In addition to planning your property maintenance, it’s also important to keep detailed records of the issues you’ve tended to. Keep an in-depth account of every maintenance activity you’ participated in, including inspections, repairs, replaced assets, client communications, timelines, budgets and more.

This documentation serves multiple purposes. First, it lets you keep track of maintenance expenses. Second, it gives you a reference point for the frequency and cost of certain repairs, allowing you to be better prepared for future issues. Third, it provides accountability by creating a paper trail and proof of your maintenance work, which will come in handy when crunching budget numbers, addressing client disagreements and keeping up with compliancy.

Bottom Line

There may be multiple options for addressing your property maintenance needs, but there’s only one clear choice. Proactive maintenance allows you to stay ahead of issues, save money and provide a better experience for your tenants. Reactive maintenance is a deceptively simple alternative that creates far more problems than it resolves. As long as you’re staying vigilant of potential problems and fixing them promptly, you and your property will both stay in top shape.

Need some additional insight on best maintenance practices? The experts at DRK will answer your questions and help you make the most of your real estate investment.

You can scout commercial real estate available in the Columbus, Ohio, area here.

 

Until next time,

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