Common Apartment Problems

Blogs

October 26, 2022

As landlords, you need to be prepared for the maintenance that comes along with leasing your property. Making sure that everything’s in place does the following:

saves you from big financial loses
helps you with tenant lease renewal
helps you with justifying future rent rises

Educate your tenants with the proper maintenance of the property. Establish good communication from the outset and lay down the regulations. It is true that the tenancy law protects both the tenants and landlords; Renters are entitled to use and enjoy the property but it is also their obligation to avoid any possible disturbances and damages to the property.

In this blog, we will tackle the common apartment problems and the ways both tenants and landlords can prepare for them:

Bugs and Rodents

Address the problem as soon as possible because once a pest has found a safe and comfortable home for itself, it isn’t likely to leave. Keeping the property pest-free is essential as pests can cause numerous problems.

rats can cause electrical problems
bees can start their hives around the exterior of the property
ants or beetles can chew through wood until they cause structural damage

Seal up any holes, no matter how small they are. Holes offer entryways to pests and rodents.

Of course, monitoring for pests would be difficult if you are the landlord. Send out seasonal reminders about pest infestations to tenants. These reminders would especially be useful to those who have just started living independently so they can take preventive measures and watch out for warning signs.

Leaks and water damage

Most water damage issues come from faulty appliances, broken pipes, and worse: forgetful neighbours. Water damage can be detrimental to a property if left unchecked. It results to destroyed wood, drywall, and flooring. Be keen to look for areas where mould could possibly grow. To prevent this, make sure to insulate exposed pipes. Check water leaks under sinks, faucets, toilets and roofs.

When a tenant reports a water problem, address this immediately.

Electrical Work

Out of all the common problems in an apartment, electrical work is the most dangerous one as it can start a fire. Flickering lights and soaring electricity bills are indicators of electrical problems. During your scheduled routine maintenance, ask your tenants if they have observed occurrences like this and make sure to take note of them.

It is better to be safe than sorry. Don’t touch any exposed wires. Switch off the circuit and put a mark on the wires using electrical tapes before switching it on again. If you don’t know anything about electrical wires and how to resolve electrical issues, don’t risk fixing the problem yourself and ask for a professional’s help.

HVAC

Unusual noise is the tell-tale sign that your HVAC system needs checking. Your unit’s performance can be impacted by the normal wear and tear. Repairing before it causes much bigger issues can be avoided with proper maintenance by a certified service contractor.

Doing regular maintenance also prevents unexpected costly breakdowns, increased energy costs, and poor performance.

Garbage / Waste Disposal

Bad odour is an indicator that your waste disposal is storing rotting or decaying food. Check if something got stuck in your waste disposal and discard them properly. Once you’re sure that everything’s already cleaned up, use cut-up lemons or other citrus fruits to rid of the smell. Place the small pieces in the disposal and run it.

Properties have one thing in common: there will always be issues that need to be addressed. The rental market is getting more competitive. Amenities and property features are the things that are considered by the tenants – but more often than not, it’s the exceptional property management that makes them stay.