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As a landlord, you can hardly avoid damage to your property. Even the most careful of tenants can still experience things like broken light fixtures or faulty locks. Whatever the damage may be, having to deal with it can be stressful for busy landlords like yourself.
To make the process of fixing your property as smooth as possible, there are a few steps that you can keep in mind as you go. You can find out more about how to deal with the damage here, in our short landlord’s guide.
Assess the damage
The first step to any repair is to assess the damage to your property. The best way to do this is by going to see the issue for yourself. However, if that’s not possible or feasible for you, make sure to ask your tenants to document the damage in detail.
Request pictures and descriptions of what is broken. The more information you have, the more equipped you will be to determine the next stage in the repair process.
Establish responsibility
While this might not be the first thing you want to think about, it’s always good to establish how the damage occurred. As you well know, some issues are inevitable. Over time, parts of your property will deteriorate or even break as a result of frequent use. Some components might also simply have run their course. In this case, of course, no one is at fault.
However, if the damage was done by your tenants, you will want to know about it. So, make sure that you know how the damage happened. This way, you can base liability for the repair on the tenancy agreement.
Do your research
Once you have a grasp of what happened to your property and how it occurred, the next step is to do some research into what you need to arrange to get the repairs going.
One of the first things you will need to do is check your insurance. If the damage that needs to be addressed falls outside of the tenant’s responsibility, then you will want to know what can be covered by your landlord insurance.
Next, look into what is needed for the repairs and who can conduct them. Maybe there are some things you can do yourself, like change a smoke detector battery or paint a dirty wall.
However, for more complex jobs you will want to bring in a professional who can conduct safe, high-quality repairs. Make sure to look into several experts before committing to one’s services.
Calculate your budget
After you’ve established the complexity of the needed repairs, you will want to carefully plan out your budget so that you avoid overspending on fixing the damage to your property.
If possible, bear in mind the cost of the materials required, as well as the service costs of the professional you might need to hire. Of course, these will vary significantly depending on the repairs you will need to make. For instance, the window replacement cost will be higher than that of changing a lock or adding a fresh layer of paint to a wall.
While it may be tempting to try to cut corners wherever possible, investing in quality repairs can pay off in the long run. So, make sure to establish your budget in as much detail as possible and spend your money wisely on long-lasting repairs.
Think ahead
Before you go through with the repairs, you will also want to think about the future of your rental property. It’s a good idea to plan some preventative measures that can help you avoid any similar damage in the future. You can consult with the professional you’ll be working with to find the best course of action for this step.
At the same time, to lessen the financial burden of repairs at a later time, you can also consider adding a clause in your tenancy agreement that addresses regular inspections and minor maintenance projects. This way, you can work closely with the tenant to make sure that the property is properly cared for to avoid any severe damage.
By taking into account all of these tips, you will be able to significantly reduce the stress of dealing with any damage to your property. Just remember that you are not alone in the process. You can always rely on help from a professional you hire and encourage the active participation of your tenants in solving any issues your property may face.
