Most people believe that apartments, houses, and buildings do not require the same level of preventive maintenance as an investment or a huge part of a process.
Preventive maintenance is taking action to stop problems from happening before they even start. This is very important for property maintenance because problems that keep getting worse can become very expensive, hard to fix, and even dangerous for the people who live or work in the building.
Preventive building maintenance is also important for keeping the building’s infrastructure in good shape. For example, it might not seem like a big deal, but letting leaves pile up in gutters and under roof tiles can damage and rot the roof’s structure. If tenants aren’t careful, they could end up with an unplanned and expensive new skylight. At worst, someone could be seriously hurt by falling objects or bad weather.
The following is a list of areas that should need routine preventive maintenance:
- Roofs
- Windows and doors
- Power plants (e.g., boilers, furnaces, hot water heaters)
- Plumbing systems and sewer systems
- Drainage and storm systems
- Parking lots
- Sidewalks and steps
- Safety systems (e.g., fire sprinkler and alarm components)
- Main electrical systems
- Amenity facilities such as laundry rooms
- Storage facilities such as oil tanks
Simple keys to remember:
- Create a baseline list of all major capital items and their history
- Create a calendar for scheduling consistent, periodic inspections of these items
- Document what you find and what you correct with these inspections
- Safety should always be the first priority, and water infiltration is the biggest daily enemy of your buildings
Therefore, a preventive maintenance program is an investment, just like insurance. It might not seem like you need it until you really need it when the problem is big and the cost is high. When a tenant finds fungus growing in their bathroom and doesn’t tell anyone for two months, what was once a small problem becomes a huge headache. But if you have a good PM program in place, you can avoid these problems.
