What is Routine Maintenance?
Routine maintenance refers to regularly completed work by a maintenance team. These are typically daily or weekly tasks to keep up a property’s overall appearance and ensure everything is functioning correctly. Examples of routine maintenance are inspecting, cleaning, and replacing parts to ensure everything is in working order. This maintenance can help prevent costly breakdowns and reduce the chances of accidents or malfunctions.
Some standard routine maintenance includes regular inspections or landscaping. These can be carried out on a time-based schedule or a usage-based plan.
To learn more about property maintenance, check out our ultimate guide to learn everything you need to know to run a successful maintenance program.
Routine maintenance tasks are straightforward. They typically do not require specialized maintenance training, skills, or equipment to complete. Because of that, routine maintenance can be carried out by staff outside the maintenance department. One example would be a property management company hiring a crew to mow or water grass in the summer or remove snow in the winter.
While routine maintenance may sound similar to preventative care, there are key differences. While both types of maintenance are regularly scheduled, routine maintenance typically refers to simple, small-scale activities. Routine maintenance requires little training and will not have detrimental effects if it gets missed. It usually refers to the general upkeep of a property and protecting equipment from normal wear and tear. While routine maintenance is essential, it has a small impact on your business’s bottom line.
On the other hand, preventive maintenance is a much more systematic approach. Preventative maintenance involves the regular detection, inspection, and prevention of equipment failures. Preventative maintenance varies from routine maintenance because it is usually conducted by a maintenance professional. With a designated preventative maintenance strategy, property management companies can save money on costly emergency repairs, keeping their property owners satisfied and giving the residents a positive housing experience.
Examples of Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance includes non-emergency upkeep of the building, the equipment, and the grounds. Examples of routine maintenance tasks are:
- Trash removal
- Snow removal
- Lawn care
- Mopping and sweeping
- Cleaning windows
- Vacuuming hallways and public areas
- Pool cleaning
- Watering the grounds
- Keeping fuel in the equipment
- Removing trash from the grounds
- Many property management companies may have a designated maintenance team that works to complete maintenance requests from residents and a separate groundskeeper in charge of all routine maintenance tasks. This way, your maintenance team can focus on completing work orders quickly without letting daily tasks slide through the cracks.
In addition, some property management companies may hire additional help in certain seasons to help with routine maintenance. For example, property management companies may employ lawn care companies to mow and water their grass in the summer or remove snow from the parking lot and sidewalk in the winter.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Routine Maintenance
There are many advantages to running routine maintenance at your properties. The most significant benefit to routine maintenance is maintaining curb appeal and keeping your properties looking nice. This is important because your residents want to feel pride in where they live. Things like nice grass, clean sidewalks, and clean common areas will make your residents happier with their living experience. In addition, well-maintained properties are more accessible to market, and you will have greater luck finding tenants that are a good fit for your business.
Not only does routine maintenance keep your property looking nice, but it also increases the lifetime of your assets. By regularly cleaning common areas, they will last longer without something like carpets or paint having to be replaced.
But the most important aspect of routine maintenance is safety. Specifically when it comes to snow and ice removal. Residents could be injured if you fail to remove snow and ice from sidewalks and parking lots. Not only does this negatively impact resident satisfaction, but you could face a lawsuit if your team is negligent about safety around your property.
Time and money are the most significant disadvantages of running a routine maintenance program. First, if your maintenance teams are trying to keep up with maintenance requests while handling all routine maintenance, they might fall behind. In addition, many property management companies rely solely on third-party contractors to complete maintenance requests. You will need an internal team to run a successful routine maintenance program. This increases costs like payroll, health benefits, and other employee expenses.
While routine maintenance may cost more in employee expenses, it is worth it in the long run because you will maintain good relationships with your residents and keep your properties in a better condition for the long run.
Check out our maintenance checklist if you need help deciding what to include in your routine maintenance program.
