It’s important to have a home maintenance program in place for your Santa Cruz rentals. I want to share a story with you. When I bought my business in 2005, it was an El Nino year. I remember trees coming down and blocking tenants in properties and basements flooding. There was a lot of damage, and vendors were very busy. So, it was my husband and I with chainsaws in hand who had to cut up the trees that were blocking tenants and move wood to the front yard to be taken away later.
Santa Cruz Weather in 2016
This last year, you will probably remember that Highway 17 was closed, Highway 152 was closed, and Highway 9 was also closed. There were a couple of days that Santa Cruz was isolated. People couldn’t get in or out; there were landslides and flooding and a lot of weather related damage. I can honestly say that in all of our properties, we had no problems. That’s because we do preventative annual maintenance checks, and the properties we manage are maintained.
Home Maintenance Checklist
We have a maintenance program that includes inspections at the end of every lease before the lease is extended. We schedule preventative service appointments and inspections. If a tenant has pets, we go in to inspect the property twice a year. We’re always looking at the property. We keep the trees trimmed back so they’re healthy. We check sump pumps, especially when we know rain is coming. We look at keeping gutters clean and do what we can to avoid floods and damage.
Property Management Santa Cruz: Invest in Maintenance
Our current clients have invested a little bit of money over the years, and this year is the big payoff. Others properties in the area unfortunately are suffering, but we came through without any incidents. Put a maintenance plan in place, and schedule things for a whole year to keep it in good condition.
If you want to hear other tips about home maintenance or Santa Cruz property management, please contact us at Portola Property Management.
