A Property Manager's Guide to Multi-Family Property Maintenance

The market for multi-family property is continuing to surge in 2024. According to a market report from the first quarter of 2024, the growing supply of multi-family units is continuing to break records. Over 135,000 new units were delivered in the quarter, and demand for multi-family housing remains just as strong as the record-breaking supply.

The landscape for multi-family property investors is looking brighter every day. This is all the more reason to take care of these properties the right way, securing your property value and keeping all of your tenants satisfied. Multi-family property maintenance is a problem of scale. The problems with single-family rental maintenance multiply when you’re dealing with a property the size of a multi-family rental.

Despite the scale, with the right tools and assistance, you can exceed your goals with your multi-family property’s maintenance. We’ve put together this guide on the subject to show you how.

The Unique Challenges of Multi-Family Property Maintenance

Multi-family properties are defined as any property with the capability of housing multiple families within the premises. The most common of which are apartment complexes. Duplexes, townhomes, and condos also fit the bill as well. Whichever style of property, multi-family investments have higher associated costs across the board than other rental types. And that includes property maintenance.

Much of the challenges faced in multi-family property maintenance are similar to regular rental maintenance but expanded exponentially. When you’re dealing with so many tenants, you’re going to have to be better coordinated in how you solve maintenance problems in their units. Pest issues are also a concern because they can spread much quicker between so many units in close proximity.

Creating Comprehensive Maintenance Strategies

To approach a problem this size, your team and/or your property management company have to spend extra time planning everything involved in taking care of your property. Proactiveness is especially vital in multi-family property maintenance, so your game plan must be drawn up that way as well. Every unit and corner of the property must be given its own timeline.

Rental inspections should be coordinated quarterly for every unit, as well as during each move-in and move-out. You can also coordinate days and times for every unit to receive preventative maintenance. Both of these prevent potential problems from arising altogether. In the event of an emergency, however, protocols should be in place to ensure the evacuation and safety of all tenants.

Handling Routine Maintenance and Repairs

Just like your regular rental inspections, the standard routine maintenance performed on your property should also be kept on standard timelines. Luckily, experts in various fields have agreed upon typical frequencies in which you should be performing checkups on systems for your property. Those timelines look a little like this:

• Landscaping and outdoor maintenance - Weekly or monthly depending on the area
• HVAC system checks - Every 6 months (heating in the fall, air conditioning in the spring)
• Plumbing inspections - Every 1-2 years
• Electrical system checks - Every 3-5 years

Make sure this is done for each unit you have in your rental property. No individual unit should miss out on these checks to ensure the overall health of your investment property. 

Repairs and emergency work done in your multi-family property maintenance work is a little harder to put on a schedule. However, you can properly prepare and plan for these situations. Make sure you have reliable professionals on call at all hours with an established game plan. Communicate these processes with your tenant always and prioritize safety when an emergency does occur.

The Aid of Technology for Maintenance Management

We are deep into the digital age. Technology plays a large part in our daily lives. If you’re not already, you should be using the digital tools available to you to improve the processes in your rental business as well. As far as maintenance goes, implementing technology in the process can vastly improve the efficiency and responsiveness of your business.

Fielding your maintenance requests through digital means can take more off your plate and get issues solved much faster by routing them directly to professionals. It also improves tenant satisfaction as they will always feel they have a way to get their concerns resolved. There are multiple software suites on offer for property maintenance, and a property manager will always come equipped with these tools.

Budgeting for Property Maintenance

There are a few metrics you can follow when budgeting for multi-family property maintenance yearly. One rule suggests that you set aside half of your rental income each month for the upkeep of the property. Another proposes that you allocate one dollar per square foot of the property. However you do it, make sure you’re allocating money for maintenance and not just waiting for the costs to hit you.

Finding the Right Maintenance Contractors

Even if you have an in-house maintenance team, you’re going to require qualified outside contractors for specialized maintenance needs. You might even prefer this for your multi-family property for the benefits of having an expert tackle every need. Either way, you’ll need to vet multiple contractors to make sure you have the right people for the various jobs in your rental.

Every worker who steps foot on your property should be properly licensed for the job they are hired for. Someone performing, say, electrical work without proper certification can spell disaster. You also want contractors who are responsive and quick to jump on repairs. You can verify this through references, previous work experience, and combing through online reviews. Having contractors who care just as much as you do helps protect your investment.

Managing Your Multi-family Property Maintenance

Managing a multi-family property can be plenty to juggle. Maintenance can be the biggest burden of all of these obstacles in time and money spent. Don’t try to solve it alone. It is possible to have a network of individuals on your side who take the utmost care of your investment, just as it should be.

For utmost care in property management, Pristine Property Management is the team you need for your multi-family property. We don’t just perform multi-family properties as a side project, we focus on these large investments to ensure the investors we partner with are given the highest level of service. Pristine Property Management is a property manager that will make your multi-family property the top priority.

Contact us today to learn more. We also offer free rental property analysis to interested owners!