Do it yourself maintenance is something that FRPM considers pretty important. It helps reduce costs for owners, solves the issue for tenants faster and allows the property manager to get more accomplished. FRPM has a variety of maintenance FAQ’s listed on their website to help guide the tenants through a step by step process that in hope will resolve the issue. When a resident calls in for a maintenance request we have them go through trouble shooting steps as an attempt to remedy the problem which in return cuts down on unnecessary trips made by vendors. 

While it is important to try to have resident address some of their maintenance problems themselves, it is important to decipher which things tenants can do and which things we will want to send someone out for to avoid liability.

Things we try to troubleshoot and have tenants do themselves would be:

• Changing furnace filter if they can reach it

• Changing smoke detector batteries if they can reach them

• Reset circuit breaker

• Unjamming a garbage disposal

Things that would seem like it should be a tenant responsibility but we like to send vendors for:

• Changing detector batteries in vaulted ceilings. This requires a ladder. Most tenants don’t even have a ladder, not to mention it is dangerous for them to climb a ladder and is a liability if they fall

• Re lighting a pilot light- Some tenants are comfortable and have enough knowledge to do this but in most cases they don’t and we are more comfortable with sending out a

• Any repairs that could lead to property damage! For obvious reasons

• Spraying for wasps nest if they are in a high area and or if tenant is allergic to bees/spiders/ any pests we just prefer to have treated by a professional and avoid the risk.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is safety first. Yes it would be great to have tenants take care of simple things but sometimes those can lead to further problems or can cause a safety concern for the tenant.

Tara Pecora, Maintenance Team Leader
First Rate Property Management, Inc.
Boise, Idaho
Contact me for more information about First Rate Property Management's rental maintenance operations in Boise, Idaho.