Preventive Maintenance for Your Silicon Valley Rental Property

Preventative maintenance is easy to overlook at your Silicon Valley rental property. An emergency repair requires a sense of urgency, and routine maintenance needs are often tracked through an online system of maintenance requests and invoices. Preventative maintenance is perhaps the best way to keep your property habitable and your maintenance costs down. It deserves your attention.

You’ll have to be willing to invest in seasonal cleanings and routine inspections, but the cost of preventative maintenance is far lower than what you’ll pay to replace an HVAC system or put on a new roof.

Routine inspections of the property can give you an idea of where you need to focus your efforts.

Here are some of the things we focus on when we’re managing Silicon Valley rental homes and implementing preventative maintenance plans.

Annual HVAC Service and Inspection

Your HVAC system covers a lot: the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in your rental property. You should educate your tenants on the importance of changing air filters regularly. This will keep your ducts clean and their energy bills more efficient. It also contributes to better air quality.

Most importantly, it preserves the lifespan of your HVAC system. Heating units and air conditioning systems are expensive. You don’t want to be called in the middle of a hot summer because the air conditioning isn’t working, and you don’t want to replace a furnace in the middle of winter – it will cost you thousands of dollars.

Preventative service and inspections are better for your property and your budget. Have an HVAC technician visit the property once a year to inspect the complete heating and cooling system, as well as the ventilation. This will save you money and headaches in the long term.

Keep Up with the Gutters and Roof

Your property’s roof is important to security and habitability. You want to make sure any leaves, branches, and debris is cleaned off the roof. Check for any place that water has pooled or rodents have made a home.

Check the property’s foundation as well. Water runoff around the foundation of your property can cause shifting and settling. Moisture on the roof or in the foundation will attract termites and other pests.

Gutters can help. They should remain clear and allow runoff to move safely away from the roof and the foundation. By properly cleaning gutters, you’ll avoid damage to the siding and foundation of your investment property from gutter overflow.

Check Rental Property Appliances

Inspecting the appliances in your rental property is part of preventative maintenance, and it’s best to do this during tenant turnover periods, unless a resident calls with a repair need because the dishwasher isn’t working or the refrigerator is leaking.

If you provide a washer and dryer in your property, you’ll want to be vigilant about preventing fires in the clothes dryer. Nearly 3,000 fires start each year because of dryer lint and poor maintenance.

Always Inspect for Water Intrusion

Preventative maintenance is necessary inside and outside of the property. Checking the roof and gutters for water issues is important, but you also need to get into the home and look under sinks, tubs, and behind toilets. Even a slow drip can quickly turn into a major plumbing disaster. Always be proactive when it comes to preventing leaks and floods.

Preventative maintenance protects the condition of your San Jose investment property and keeps emergency repair needs to a minimum. If you’d like to hear more about how we maintain your property, please contact us at Aborn Properties.