How do you handle repairs?
This all depends on if the property is currently tenant occupied or if it is vacant. For tenant-occupied homes, the tenants will submit a maintenance request via their online tenant portal through Property Meld; a first-class software specific to maintenance and property management. Our tenant portal allows tenants to submit a work order request at any time of the day or night. Once there, tenants will be prompted to provide a description of the issue as well as upload any photos, when appropriate. This request is then sent over to the property manager for review; owners will also receive a copy of the work order request to their email. Our goal here is full transparency of everything happening with your property(s).
When a request comes in, your assigned property manager will review it and decide if it needs immediate dispatch, or if we can troubleshoot the issue directly with the tenant. There are many common repair requests that our team is trained to troubleshoot. If the issue needs to be fixed, we assign the work order to one of our preferred vendors. Property Meld technology enables the vendor to directly set up a time with the tenant for the repair. Our vendors will complete the repair, take before and after photos, and submit an invoice to our company for approval.
We make sure the cost of the repair is fair and that the work was completed satisfactorily. Our management agreement allows us to approve any repair up to $500, without having to interrupt you for approval. Larger repairs, anything over $500, require owner approval. If this is the case, your property manager will email you for approval (note, this communication is all done via the Property Meld software). Exceptions to the $500 approved maintenance limit include emergency maintenance and habitability issues. If we have to act quickly to protect persons or property we will do so, to protect our owners best interest.
Once a repair is completed and invoiced, Property Meld sends a survey request to the tenant asking them to rate their overall experience with the vendor and repair. This helps us ensure that our vetted vendors are performing to our high standards.
From there, the invoice is then billed to you and reflected on your monthly statement.
Can I do repairs myself?
If the home is vacant, yes you can; however, we do highly advise against it. Should you chose to do all of your repairs in the event your property is vacant or hire a 3rd party vendor, you will be responsible to oversee the entire process. Once the property is leased, we require the use of our preferred vendors. We have carefully vetted all of our vendors to ensure that they are properly licensed and insured and can adhere to our strict criteria and meet required deadlines. We choose our vendors carefully so that their skill sets can help preserve your investment(s) for years to come.
How do you handle maintenance emergencies?
Maintenance emergencies are not a matter of if, but when they will happen. This is why we have a straight forward process to handle these situations when they arise. Upon move-in, tenants are given a maintenance emergency phone number that is answered live 24/7. If the situation is life-threatening, tenants are instructed to call 9-1-1 and report back to us once the situation is under control and authorities are on the scene. If the situation requires an emergency repair, the correct vendor is dispatched to quickly resolve the issue. Your property manager will then get a hold of you at the earliest convenience and explain the situation further with you and discuss next steps, should any need to be taken.
Contact Real Property Management Rental Direction
Our property management strategy is guaranteed to save you money at every stage of the process. We make it easy to protect your investment, minimize costs, and maximize your income—without interrupting your daily life.
If you are interested in having your rental property managed by Real Property Management Rental Direction, have more questions, or just want to speak to one of our team members, then contact us online or call us directly at 239-240-8111 today!