How quickly your tenants can receive maintenance services is often more important to renters than the external upkeep of your apartment community. You may offer great events for your residents, have the best amenities within walking distance, but if it takes over 2 weeks to get a lock repaired, your tenants are less likely to renew their lease.

Keeping your tenants happy with fast and reliable maintenance services is a sure way to ensure your tenants remain in their units for years to come. At Top Floor Insurance we recommend you follow these top four tips.

1. Be Proactive with Service Requests

There are routine maintenance tasks that have to be done on a recurring basis. Scheduling simple procedures like testing fire alarms, changing air filters, and performing upkeep on major appliances can help prevent big problems from occurring. If your tenants see that you take their safety and convenience serious, this can go a long way in generating referrals and keeping your tenants happy. To stay on top of maintenance, keep a running log of what buildings and units are up for service and be sure to keep to the schedule.

2. Implement a Maintenance System

Imagine there is a leak in your apartment unit, you notify maintenance and you’re told someone will come immediately to fix the problem. Two days later and after 10 phone calls, no one has arrived. At times, it can be challenging to juggle day-to-day maintenance and emergency requests that may come up, but it is essential to prevent any tenant’s request from “falling through the cracks”

3. Introduce Maintenance Staff to the Tenants

Your apartment community is a team of tenants, staff, and maintenance workers. The more included and personable the experience your residents have with your property staff, the better their experience will be. Having to play the guessing game and track down the right number to call or the right person to ask for help can be a time-drainer and lead to lower tenant satisfaction. Be upfront with contact numbers, names of maintenance workers, and any other important information your tenants should have to get their maintenance requests heard and fulfilled.

4. Make Submitting a Request Easy

Whenever possible find ways to automate the request and tracking process. This could mean allowing tenants to login and submit maintenance issues online or enabling requests to be accepted via text. Either way, communicate how to initiate a maintenance call and be sure the system is working properly for you to receive and manage all maintenance requests. Keeping tenants up-to-date on where their request is in the pipeline and giving updates on when work should be completed is also essential in letting your tenants know you value their comfort.

These are just a few ways you can leverage your maintenance staff to give your tenants a 5-star experience that will make them want to renew their lease year after year. At Top Floor Insurance, we are your one-stop shop for all things apartment community related – not just insurance. But, if you are interested in saving at least 20% on your insurance premiums, give our insurance specialist a call today at 404-266-3218 for a fast, no strings attached price quote.