3 Tools That Make Property Maintenance a Cinch

Managing property is no easy task, particularly when it comes to property maintenance management. 

Property managers and landlords need to constantly juggle multiple responsibilities, from coordinating with tenants and collecting rent to creating and managing maintenance and repair budgets, tracking daily or monthly expenses, and dealing with emergencies. 

As the sheer number of properties under management grows, so too does the complexity of the tasks a property manager needs to deal with. 

To mitigate this geometric growth of responsibilities and daily challenges, many property managers are looking to streamline their operations by leveraging one or more tools or software solutions. 

Below, we’ll look at what these tools can do for you and as well as some of the most popular tools and how they’re used. 

Overview of the benefits of using tools for property maintenance management

For property managers that are considering using property maintenance management software, there are many benefits that can be experienced, depending on the unique needs and situation of the property manager, landlord, and the tenants. 

Here are 3 of the biggest benefits that you’re likely to see, no matter what property maintenance management tools or platform you use.

Increased efficiency

One of the many things that software tools for property maintenance management can do is to automate many of the common tasks and communications that you may need to do as a property manager. 

By setting automatic reminders, communications, or updates, you can have things like upcoming rent reminders, routine maintenance reminders, and scheduled maintenance or repair updates sent to affected tenants.

Not only does this cut down on your workload, but it saves you time and lowers the rate of late rent payments and the need for manual follow-ups.

Cost savings

Properties that are properly and attentively maintained are far less likely to incur costly repairs or open up the property to legal liabilities from poor maintenance or hazards like damage. 

In the long run, efficient property maintenance management can help property managers be more proactive in identifying potential issues before they become major problems with major repair costs. 

Improved communication

Landlord-tenant communication is one of the cornerstones of a healthy rental relationship. 

Additionally, property managers need to rely on efficient and effective communication with vendors and other stakeholders, which makes communication vital. 

Maintenance management tools can make it much easier for property managers to share information and collaborate on building or tenant issues, making it easier to keep everyone involved, in the loop, and on the same page.

Comparing different tools for property maintenance management

Task management software

Task management software is a type of software that allows property managers to easily organize and prioritize maintenance tasks, assign specific responsibilities, and track overall project progress. 

Examples of task management software include Trello, Asana, and Basecamp. These options are useful for tracking routine maintenance tasks and making sure that nothing is forgotten about. 

Work order management software

This type of software helps to streamline the process of creating, assigning, and tracking work orders for various maintenance tasks. 

Some of the big names in work order management software include ServiceChannel, UpKeep, and Maintenance Connection. 

While limited to the scope of maintenance work orders, they do facilitate efficient management of work orders, and vendor performance, and they help promote timely completion of maintenance projects or tasks.

Maintenance tracking software

Maintenance tracking software may initially seem similar to work order management software, but it focuses more on tracking the maintenance history of various properties, equipment, and assets. 

This helps property managers to plan and budget for future maintenance needs, by allowing them to make data-driven decisions that work toward optimizing the overall maintenance process.

Examples of maintenance tracking tools are eMaint, Fiix, and Hippo CMMS. 

How Doorloop simplifies property maintenance management

Doorloop is a comprehensive property management software that boasts powerful tools for property maintenance management. Some of the features that make Doorloop stand out include:

Simple maintenance request management

Doorloop allows property managers to create and assign tasks, assign priorities to those tasks, and track the progress of those tasks, all without leaving the platform. 

Tenants are also able to submit maintenance requests directly, via the tenant portal, which keeps the communications and work requests all centrally located.

Detailed expense tracking and vendor payments

With detailed expense tracking, Doorloop makes it easy to keep an eye on all the financials for a rental unit’s maintenance needs. 

Easily monitor maintenance expenses, costs, and more to make more informed decisions. 

Plus, you can make vendor payments right from within the platform, making it incredibly easy to manage everything from one place. 

Seamless centralized communication

Doorloop also enables more streamlined communications between landlords, property managers, and tenants. 

Having seamless communication can keep everyone in the loop regarding maintenance issues. 

Check out Doorloop's property maintenance management tools.

FAQ

Q: What is the most challenging part of property management?

A: The most challenging part of property management will often lie in balancing an immense workload that spans multiple responsibilities.

These responsibilities frequently include tenant relations, rent collection and financial management, maintenance management, and legal regulatory compliance. This challenge can grow exponentially as the number of properties under management increases.

Q: What is most important to a property manager?

A: There are several important aspects to being an effective property manager.

A property manager needs to be a highly effective communicator, they need to respond to issues promptly, be an efficient maintenance manager, maintain accurate financial management of rental properties, and adhere to local, state, and federal regulations regarding housing.

Having all of these skills can be challenging enough, but being able to balance them all is critically important to a property manager.

Q: What are three duties of a property manager?

A: The three duties of a property manager are tenant management, property maintenance, and financial management.

Tenant management consists of finding, screening, and leasing to tenants, as well as addressing tenant concerns, and handling any evictions if needed.

Property maintenance revolves around ensuring that all properties are well-maintained, and ensuring that both routine maintenance and unforeseen repairs are taken care of in a timely manner.

The financial management component means that a property manager is tasked with collecting all rents, creating and managing maintenance and repair budgets, and maintaining accurate reports and records for each rental property.