How To Run An Apartment Community

This article discuss how to run the day-to-day operation of an apartment community. Maintenance staff handle many duties and problems can arise if not trained properly.

Although there are many services that can be provided by a maintenance staff in a large apartment community, one that is of vital importance is the running of tickets. It is important to ensure that these tickets are taken care of properly and in a timely fashion. The unfortunate thing is, there are going to be times when you find yourself short staffed or when something comes up that you are not able to take care of in house. Some of this can be overcome with the right type of asset management software, but there are still going to be problems from time to time. You need to make sure that you are prepared for any unexpected items that can occur. What are some of the basic jobs that need to be done in an apartment community and what are some of the surprises that may come up unexpectedly?

There are some common tickets that are run by the maintenance staff, and you may find that you are running these on a regular basis. They include items such as on clogging toilets, fixing sinks, repairing broken garbage disposals, replacing air filters, and fixing loose flooring. It is a good idea if you have somebody on your maintenance staff that is dedicated to these types of services. Make sure that they run the tickets as they become available so that they are not permitted to stay in circulation too long. You would also have this staff member take care of any preventative maintenance items that are needed.

More difficult tickets can also be run by the maintenance staff, but there are times when it is going to require a professional service. That is why it is a good idea to hire a maintenance staff that includes individuals that are licensed for several key areas. You would want to make sure that they were able to take care of any electrician needs, plumbing needs and HVAC. Having somebody that is licensed will help to save you money, particularly if you find that you are running these types of tickets on a regular basis.

Other tickets may require the use of an outside company, or you may find that it is financially to your benefit to do so. An example of this would be in some type of routine service that was being done to all of the units. Painting the units, either inside or outside, is an example of this type of work. You will likely have somebody on call that will be able to take care of the units as they are vacated. Make sure that they are able to take care of larger tasks as well so that you do not need to hire a company that may not be familiar with your specific needs.

One other thing that I would like to mention is the fact that curb appeal is a very important part of maintaining an apartment community. Simply pressure washing the buildings on an annual basis is going to make a large difference in the overall look of the community. Having one of the maintenance staff or perhaps an outside company come in to clean the property on a weekly basis is also a good idea. When you are able to take care of these items regularly, you will find that it is much easier to keep the apartments rented.

Article Tags: Apartment Community, Maintenance Staff, Take Care, Make Sure, Good Idea

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