Maintenance Fundamentals

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2 Maintenance Fundamentals SEMINAR OUTLINE: Intro & Learning Objectives - 10 minutes... 2 Preparing Your Team...2 Your Maintenance Responsibilities as Landlord 10 Minutes... 2 Notice and Permission to Enter 10 Minutes... 2 Responding to Repair Requests - 10 Minutes... 3 Repair Triage 20 Minutes... 4 Building Your Professional Resources 15 Minutes... 5 Getting Bids 10 Minutes... 6 Recordkeeping 10 Minutes... 6 Preventative Maintenance Routines...7 Seasonal Maintenance 10 Minutes... 7 Routine Inspection & Maintenance 15 Minutes... 8 Work to do Between Tenants Standard Turnover Process 10 Minutes Major Repairs/Replacements 10 Minutes Strategic Upgrading 10 Minutes Interior Replacement/Upgrades 10 Minutes Exterior Replacement/Upgrades 10 Minutes Q&A 10 Minutes These materials were written and edited by RHAWA staff, with contributions from RHAWA members/instructors: Steve Weinman and Henrik Straub. The materials provided by RHAWA for this course are for the use of the participants enrolled in the course. Copyrighted course materials may not be further disseminated. Formal legal advice and review is recommended prior to selection and use of this information. RHAWA does not represent your selection or execution of this information as appropriate for your specific circumstance. The material contained and represented herein, although obtained from reliable sources, is not considered legal advice or to be used as a substitution for legal counsel SW Andover St, Ste D207 Seattle, WA Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 1

3 INTRO & LEARNING OBJECTIVES - 10 MINUTES Preparing Your Team YOUR MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES AS LANDLORD 10 MINUTES As landlord, you are ultimately responsible for all repair and maintenance, planned or unplanned. In fact, RCW and says that you will at all times during the tenancy keep the premises fit for human habitation and then goes on to define that in some detail. How much help do you need to meet this responsibility effectively? At the very least, you need someone who can respond to an emergency if you are unavailable. Make sure you identify a backup and include in contact instructions for your tenants. NOTICE AND PERMISSION TO ENTER 10 MINUTES 2 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

4 The law dictates that as landlord, you have the right of entry, yet they have the right to privacy. Therefore, you must provide written notice ( or portal OK) to the tenant requesting permission to enter. Notice must be provided per RCW with sufficient lead time as follows: 2 Day Notice for repair or maintenance 1 Day Notice to show the property No notice is required in the case of an emergency NOTE: Per standard rules of legal notices, the day you give notice is day zero, the day you can visit is after the 1 or 2-day period. Therefore, a 2-day notice means giving notice on Monday for a Thursday appointment. In your notice: Provide a window of at least a few hours for when you or your employee/vendor would like to enter. Include how they should contact you to confirm permission for you to enter at the given time. The tenant can ask you to schedule another time that is more convenient, but they cannot refuse. Legally, you can impose fee of $100 for each refusal to entry. RESPONDING TO REPAIR REQUESTS - 10 MINUTES Encourage your tenants to report maintenance and repair issues as soon as they occur. It s always better to correct issues early to avoid more expensive repairs later. It is not advisable to have tenants do their own repairs. The law requires reasonable response time to repair requests as follows: 24 hours: No hot or cold water, heat, or electricity, or imminently hazardous to life 72 hours: No use of refrigerator, range and oven, or a major plumbing fixture supplied by the landlord 10 days: Everything else Notes: Response means you have assessed the situation and initiated the process to complete repairs. Always keep your tenant informed of your progress in correcting the issue or if it is out of your control, like a power outage. Per RCW, tenant is to give written notice to the address where rent is paid to start the timelines given. If you utilize a PO Box, it is important that it is checked daily, even when you aren t expecting rents to be received. Even if the tenant requests a repair, they still need to give permission to enter in writing following the same rules listed above. Best Practices Respond to any repair request once you are aware of it, regardless of the format you received phone, , text or legal written notice. When responding to issues especially emergencies, always make tenant safety your priority prior to assessing damage or lease violation. Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 3

5 REPAIR TRIAGE 20 MINUTES In addition to the repair call response time provided by law listed above, there may be additional urgency related to protecting your property. You also need to determine the level of expertise required to manage repairs effectively. It s a good idea to have an idea how to handle various situations before they happen. Level 1 Easy, low risk There are few repairs that come up often and are relatively easy to accomplish on your own, or by your designated backup person or staff. Running toilet and other minor toilet problems Drippy faucet Rodent hole sealing Changing electrical switches or outlets How-to guides and videos are readily available online, such as: Level 2 Not that easy, low risk Many issues can be handled cost effectively by a competent handyman or general maintenance service provider. Discuss and take note of issues that fall into this category for you: Level 3 Not easy, high risk The following should only be handled by licensed, certified professionals. See for information on Washington State licensing requirements. Electrical work Plumbing HVAC Sewer Router/Septic Tree removal Window repair/replacement Pest control Anything that requires a permit 4 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

6 BUILDING YOUR PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES 15 MINUTES It s important to build rapport with your key service providers so that you can get priority scheduling in emergency situations. It s also helpful when your service provider has a clear understanding of your expectations and routines. Do you have a reliable source for each of the following services? Take a moment to discuss and share with others in class: General maintenance (handyman): Roofer: Landscape/fencing/tree service: Plumber: Electrician: HVAC: Sewer Router/Septic: Sewer line repair: Carpet repair/installer (or other flooring) : Appliance repair: Pest control: Cleaning: Painter: Others: Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 5

7 GETTING BIDS 10 MINUTES Whenever possible and when time permits, get multiple bids for major projects. Even if you ve established a good relationship with a professional, occasionally get alternate bids on a project to verify that you re still receiving competitive pricing. Do some research on the work that you re contracting so you understand what to expect from your service provider. Create a written job specification sheet so that you can compare apples with apples when the bids come in. Include all details such as quality of materials, color schemes, or even specific materials you want. Specify if you want to the bid to include labor only, or all materials, demolition/removal, permits and all other expenses. Request more bids than you want not all vendors will reply. If you have multiple units/homes, ask about volume discounts. RECORDKEEPING 10 MINUTES For each property and unit, keep records including installation, repair and replacement details, cost and dates of major property features such as roof, fence, water heater, kitchen appliances, flooring, interior/exterior paint, siding, etc. Keep these records organized by property, and communications with tenants about repairs/maintenance in tenant records. RHAWA Seminar Intro to Managing Your Rentals goes into more detail on record keeping best practices. 6 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

8 Preventative Maintenance Routines SEASONAL MAINTENANCE 10 MINUTES Schedule exterior preventative maintenance routines for your properties in Spring and Fall. In Spring, you ll want to focus on the repairing any damage that might have occurred over the Winter, and complete major preventative work that would be more expensive in the Fall or Winter, like roofing. In Fall, you re getting ready for Winter and minimizing the chance of emergency issues. SPRING: Inspect-Repair-Replace Roof Heating Gutter inspections/repairs/replacements Exterior paint surfaces Fencing Landscape (post winter cleanup, inspect trees) Sidewalks, walkways, parking lots Irrigation Site safety issues Valves on shut offs (turn off and on) Fire extinguishers House numbers, signage Mailboxes Lighting FALL: Get ready for Winter Landscape (leaves and pruning) Clean gutters, check downspouts and splash blocks Shut off and winterize irrigation Clean exterior drains and check traps Check shut off valves, and make sure tenants and/or onsite staff are trained. Plan for de-icing sidewalks, parking lots, stairwells (multi-family units) Confirm plans if snow removal is needed (multifamily) Remove exterior hoses Install hose bib covers Check vacant units for heat Keep power on during vacancies for showings, safety & heat Communicate with winter safety with tenants Have an emergency response plan Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 7

9 ROUTINE INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE 15 MINUTES Have a routine for interior inspection and maintenance during tenancy. For single family homes, this includes inspection of the exterior, beyond a drive-by. Make sure you provide proper notice and follow the same routine for all tenants. Use an inspection mobile app such as HappyCo or SafetyCulture or a written checklist such as the following: EXAMPLE: Routine Inspection Report Scheduled Date/Time Address: Tenant: Current Phone # Next Section 8 renewal Move-In Date Smoke Detectors Working: CO Detectors present & working Service Panel Accessible: Heaters unblocked: If furnace: date filter changed Fire Hazards: Animals on premises: Number/Types of animals: Safety issues present: N Y Comment Comments/Damages/Maintenance items Mark in "T" Column if Tenant responsible for damage/repair Mark in "M" Column if maintenance needs to be scheduled Room T M Item Entry Living Room Dining Room Kitchen Bathroom #1 Bathroom #2 Bedroom #1 8 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

10 Bedroom #2 Bedroom #3 Bedroom #4 Hallway Stairwell Windows Crawl area vents screened Crawl Space access covered Exterior House Siding/Paint Exterior Trim Paint Gutters/Roof issues Garage/Carport Yard - Grass cut, debris? Fencing Basement/storage areas Any other comments/notes: Overall cleanliness Any area not inspected? Comment Follow Up required: Send tenant 10 day comply Maintenance Request Priority Repairs needed Re-inspection required N Y Comment Inspection Date: Inspector Name: Inspector Signature: Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 9

11 Work to do Between Tenants Two things need to happen between tenants returning the unit to rentable standards, and making major repairs or upgrades. It s always a good idea to know how long a turnover is going to take well before the end of tenancy, and carefully preplan and schedule work to keep the turnover time as short as possible. STANDARD TURNOVER PROCESS 10 MINUTES Make sure you have a consistent process and team in place to turnover your units/homes. Use the checklist on the following page as a starting point for your own procedure. Many landlords have an efficient system in place that makes it possible to turnover a unit in as little as 24 hours. This takes advance notice, good vendor relationships and great planning. RHAWA Seminar, Successful Move-outs provides more in-depth information on this topic. MAJOR REPAIRS/REPLACEMENTS 10 MINUTES By keeping good records, you can anticipate and plan for major repairs and replacements between tenants. This makes it easy to react and set the wheels in motion as soon as you know a tenant is moving out. The life expectancy of major components of your rental property can vary based on quality of materials when installed, proper installation techniques, and proper care/use during the life of the component. For example - FHA minimum carpet may have a life of 5-7 years with proper care and maintenance, while a better grade of carpet may have a life of 10+ years with proper care and maintenance - however, if a tenant causes damage whether by pet, bleach stains, motor oil stains or iron prints melted in the carpet - it still must be replaced much sooner than its full life. 10 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

12 Turnover Checklist (Example) ADDRESS _BY_DATE DATE ASSIGNED _ASSIGNED TO ASSIGNED BY DATE RETURNED GENERAL Water heater set to 120. Working smoke detectors 1 per floor/between heat source & bedrooms Working Carbon Monoxide Detector (1 per floor between heat source & BR) Unit swept for cobwebs. Visible house numbers. Fireplace clean with grate & screen. Carpets vacuumed. Vinyl, tile & wood floors cleaned. Mail box in good condition. Furnace Filter Changed/Clean Electrical panel safe no open knockouts, accessible and unlocked ENTRY LIVING ROOM HALL/STAIRWELL/LANDING All light shades clean. Light bulbs all working. Windows washed. All old curtain/blind hardware removed. Working locks on all windows. Outlets & cover plates in good working condition. Light switches & cover plates in good working condition. Heaters and/or heater vents cleaned & vacuumed. Handrail in good condition. DINING ROOM Door stops on doors. Light shades clean. Light bulbs all working. Windows washed. All old curtain/blinds hardware removed. Curtain rods or blinds on each window. Working locks on all windows. Outlets & cover plates in good working condition. Light switches & cover plates in good working condition. Heaters and/or heater vents cleaned & vacuumed. Closet pole & shelves in good condition. Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 11

13 BATH #1 BATH #2 Tub/shower caulked at walls & floor. Tower bar & toilet paper holder present. Shower bar or shower doors installed. Vinyl under sink. Toilet, sink, medicine cabinet, bathtubs & surround clean. Door stops on door. Light shade clean. Light bulbs all working. Window washed. All old curtain/blinds hardware removed. Heaters and/or heater vents cleaned & vacuumed. Outlets & cover plates in good working condition. Light switches & cover plates in good working condition. Curtain rod on regular window. Handles/knobs on vanity/drawers/cabinet doors. Fan working & clean. Floors clean No leaks present Faucets all working properly all handles/hardware in place IF TILE clean and seal tiles and grout. Check supply lines under sink for wear, fraying, etc. KITCHEN All light shades clean. Light bulbs all working. Windows washed. All old curtain/blind hardware removed. Working locks on all windows. Outlets & cover plates in good working condition. Light switches & cover plates in good working condition Heaters and/or heater vents cleaned & vacuumed Counters clean & in good condition. Cabinet & drawer interiors clean. Vinyl under sink. Sink & faucet clean. Stove, oven & range hood clean. Drip pans clean or new. All stove knobs readable & present. Refrigerator clean (interior & exterior) Dishwasher clean (interior & exterior) Basket Strainers in sink Floor clean (check under appliances) Range hood clean including grease filters (replace if dirty or missing) Check supply lines under sink for wear, fraying, etc. GARAGE ATTIC BASEMENT Swept clean. Handrail/railings in good condition. J-boxes covered. No visible unsafe wiring. Broken/missing windows replaces or boarded. Working locks on exterior doors. Light bulbs all working. 12 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

14 BED #1 BED #2 BED #3 BED#4 EXTRA Door stops on door. Light shades clean. Light bulbs all working. Windows washed. All old curtain/blinds hardware removed. Curtain rods or blinds on each window. Working locks on all windows. Outlets & cover plates in good working condition. Light switches & cover plates in good working condition. Heaters and/or heater vents cleaned & vacuumed. closet pole & shelves in good condition. LAUNDRY ROOM All light shades clean. Light bulbs all working. Windows washed. All old curtain/blind hardware removed. Working locks on all windows. Outlets & cover plates in good working condition. Light switches & cover plates in good working condition Heaters and/or heater vents cleaned & vacuumed Dryer vent in good condition. Washer faucets in good condition. Cabinets Clean EXTERIOR Grass cut. Trees & bushes trimmed. Blackberry bushes cut & sprayed. Yard waste (except grass clippings) to dump. All foundation vents screened with ¼ hardware cloth. All attic vents screened with ¼ hardware cloth. Crawl space access cover properly installed. Handrail/railings in good secure condition. Exterior lights by entry doors working. Splash blocks for each downspout. Window glazing in good condition. Fencing in good condition. Gutters/downspouts in good condition. Roofing in good condition. Siding in good condition. Paint in good condition. Trim paint in good condition. Garbage/yard waste/recycle cans empty. Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 13

15 STRATEGIC UPGRADING 10 MINUTES Use discretion when choosing materials for your next upgrade. Carefully evaluate your property features and strike the right balance between market appeal and cost effectiveness. Do they meet the needs and expectations of your neighborhood demographics? Are they cost effective, durable and easy to maintain? Whatever you choose, always focus on proper installation of all materials. Major or disruptive upgrades are best done between tenants, but many small, yet desirable upgrades can be done during tenancy, perhaps during lease renewal. This often makes rent increases more palatable for the tenant. When it s time to replace or upgrade, consider the following: Expected lifetime: While you want things that are durable and likely to last a long time, choosing something with a shorter life, may encourage keeping the unit up to date as time goes on. If you invest significant money into kitchen cabinetry that is designed to last longer (20-40 years for solid wood cabinets) remember in years, the kitchen will appear to be dated compared to newer things available at that time. Also, remember there is a higher level of damage risk when your property is being rented. It may make more sense to use less expensive materials and just plan on replacing more often. Exceptions to this are things like exterior siding and roofing where it makes sense to pay for longer lasting materials. Cost of use - Water and energy efficient appliances are a good selling point for tenants if they pay utilities, great cost savings for you if you pay. Reliability, ease/cost of maintenance - Avoid things that might require frequent maintenance or specialized service and replacement parts. Few or no repair calls is ideal. is a good source for comparing product ratings in general. Animal friendliness - It s difficult to avoid having animals in your rental today. Laminate or tile floors are most resistant to animal damage. Adding a small enclosed dog run to your yard with doggy door access may help protect both your interior flooring and your landscaping. Child friendliness If your property is in a neighborhood that s popular with families, consider adding child friendly features, such as a fenced yard, Tamper Resistant Receptacles (TRRs), safety latches on cabinets, etc. Luxury If your property is in a neighborhood with high-end luxury comps, consider upgrading kitchens, baths and flooring to compete with other rentals in the area. 14 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

16 INTERIOR REPLACEMENT/UPGRADES 10 MINUTES While having the same neutral paint color for all your rentals is easier and more cost effective, would a tasteful pop of color make a higher-end property more marketable or keep a good current tenant happier? What choices are more likely to stand up well to your tenant s use? Discuss each of the following and take notes on what choices make sense for your property: Lighting: Paint colors: Flooring: Countertops: Cabinetry & hardware: Other: EXTERIOR REPLACEMENT/UPGRADES 10 MINUTES Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals 15

17 When making choices for your exterior, consider how it will stand up to weather and tenant use. Although you might get lucky with a tenant who enjoys gardening, most will not spend time pulling weeds so low-maintenance landscaping is usually a good idea. However don t downplay basic curb appeal. Also, creating an enjoyable outdoor space for tenants will help you get and keep good tenants. Discuss each of the following and take notes on what choices make sense for your property: Painting: Siding: Lighting: Walks and driveways: Patio/Deck: Landscaping: Fencing: Other: Q&A 10 MINUTES 16 RHA SEMINAR: Maintenance Fundamentals Rental Housing Association of Washington, 2017 Revised 5/7/2018

18 THE BRAVO EDUCATION CENTER IS SPONSORED BY Rental Housing Association of Washington 2414 SW Andover St, Ste D207, Seattle, WA T (206) (800) education@rhawa.org RHAwa.org