Apartment
Carpet Maintenance Guide
Preventative Maintenance
(Excerpt from
"Flooring Solutions for Rental Properties" by Alan J. Fletcher)
Alright, we have mentioned sealing out water by applying
caulking around toilets tubs and showers, but one bead of silicone will only
last so long. If you don’t keep an eye on it your seal will fail and lots of
your money will flow right down that crack.
You need to schedule frequent flooring inspections. I suggest
every 6 months, but once a year at the very least. Not only do you have the
right to inspect the flooring in every unit, but you have every good reason to
do this. As a landlord myself I can assure you that there are many problems that
can be avoided if you can find them before they become big problems.
An example...
You plan your yearly inspection of each apartment. Notices
have been placed on every apartment door within the 24 or 48 hours as required
by law. As you enter one apartment you hear the sound of running water. Upon
investigation you find that the toilet is continually running due to a broken
part inside the tank. Since you might pay for the water as part of the rental
agreement, it is in your best interests to conserve water wherever you can. It
is a well known fact that tenants are not likely to report problems to you until
the problem becomes serious.
There are countless problems that can be avoided by
conducting regular scheduled inspections. You can also help offset the
likelihood of a fire if you notice that a tenant is overloading the electrical
circuits or running a heater too close to the furniture. Some tenants just do
not have good common sense, or are too busy to consider possible safety issues
that are obvious to others.
- Make a list of all the areas that you want to check while you are
inspecting each unit.
- Keep record of your inspection findings of each unit, and make note of what
needs to be tended to.
- Prioritize the repairs that need to be performed and take care of the most
serious problems first.
- Determine what areas are most prone to problems and implement a
preventative maintenance program to deal with those areas before they develop
into serious problems in other units.
Preventative maintenance is a very important part of saving
money in the long run. Planning scheduled inspections will also add to the
safety of every tenant you have. More on this subject as we continue on about
preventative maintenance.
Protective devices
Another good idea is to install protective devices that help
prevent problems from developing. Placing a door mat at the front door of every
unit helps prevent dirt from entering the apartment, and the carpets will need
to be cleaned less frequently. This also helps keep water from being dragged in.
Small rocks and pebbles that could scratch the floors will be less of a problem.
Door mats are inexpensive and effective yet so many apartment owners do not use
them as part of their preventative maintenance program.
More inexpensive ideas include water deflectors for the sides
of the tub. These "wings deflect water back into the tub, preventing the
majority of water from flowing over the side and onto the floor. They work when
shower curtains are used, not when you have glass shower doors.
Leaky sliding glass shower doors are the cause of many a
ruined floor. Every other year sliding glass shower doors should be completely
removed, cleaned and properly reinstalled and resealed as part of your
preventative maintenance plan.
When my son Brandon rented his first apartment, it was
several months before he bought a shower curtain. During his long showers, water
would just splash out on the bathroom floor. I have found clear plastic shower
curtains at the discount store for less than three dollars.
The shower curtain rings are cheap too. It would be a great idea for you include
a shower curtain and attaching rings in your tenants’ welcoming basket. It is
the little things that add up to make a big difference. If you spend a few
dollars and avoid a big repair bill, then you are going to save big and your
tenant will think you are great...
(Excerpt
from
"Flooring Solutions for Rental Properties" by Alan J. Fletcher)
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