35 Genius Ways To Reduce Maintenance Costs In Your Salt Lake City Rental Property
If you own a rental in SLC, you know how important maintenance and repairs are in maintaining the value of your property, and generating cash flow month after month. However, without a proper plan for ongoing maintenance, tenants become unhappy, repairs can snowball, and ultimately this cuts into your profits.
If you’re wondering how much to budget for maintenance, check out this recent blog post we published.
Here are some tips you can use to minimize your rental property maintenance costs:
1. Conduct regular preventive and proactive maintenance inspections.
2. Respond quickly to any tenant maintenance requests.
3. Invest in energy efficient appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines.
4. Implement a thorough tenant screening process.
5. Create and follow seasonal maintenance checklists.
6. Develop long-term relationships with reliable and cost-effective vendors.
7. Educate your tenants on the proper use and care of appliances and features in the property.
8. Replace older, single-pane windows with more energy efficient windows.
9. Install a programmable thermostat to reduce energy consumption.
10. Use low maintenance and durable materials for flooring.
11. Regularly clean and maintain the home’s HVAC system, including changing the air filters.
12. Install fixtures that save water, like low-flow shower heads and toilets.
13. Invest in a preventive pest control plan to reduce possible property damage.
14. Use caulking and weather stripping to improve the home’s energy efficiency in extreme weather.
15. Replace incandescent lighting with LED bulbs or fixtures.
16. Ensure proper insulation in the property’s attic, walls and basement.
17. Regularly clean out the gutters and downspouts to prevent water damage on the home’s foundation.
18. Reduce energy consumption with smart home devices and timers.
19. Use higher quality paint to lengthen the life of the pain, and extend the time between repainting during tenant turnover.
20. Conduct proactive maintenance on the home’s plumbing system.
21. Use similar fixtures and materials for easier replacements between multiple properties.
22. Get the roof regularly inspected, maintained and repaired when necessary.
23. Use outdoor motion sensor lighting to reduce electricity usage.
24. Use durable and easy to clean surfaces in high traffic areas like hallways, the kitchen and bathrooms.
25. Conduct quick external inspections of the property on a regular basis.
26. Use water wise and drought resistant landscaping to reduce water costs.
27. Install ceiling fans to reduce air conditioning and heating costs, and improve air circulation.
28. Consider implementing a tenant incentive program for reporting maintenance issues early.
29. Use technology to monitor and optimize energy consumption across the property.
30. Treat indoor and outdoor wooden structures to prevent rot, sun decay and insect damage.
31. Maintain window coverings to prevent sun damage inside the home and keep the property cool.
32. Use high quality and durable hardware for doors and kitchen cabinets.
33. Regularly inspect the home’s foundation to identify problems before they become catastrophic.
34. Use solar powered light fixtures outdoors to reduce energy costs.
35. Use property management software to automate the process of work orders and vendors.
“I had a client needing some assistance with their rental property and Scott was great to work with. He asked thoughtful questions about their goals for the property and took time to explain each step. This made it easy to plan for what to expect using their services, which was valuable for a first time landlord. ASPM has been in business for over 10 years and has a well designed system. I look forward to referring more clients Scott’s way!”
– Trevor T.
