Did you know that Empire owners can do their own repairs? Well, it’s true. Many of our owner who are handy with repairs but do not like the burden or management do their own repairs. This is a great way of saving a lot of money as maintenance costs can be far more than management. Here are a few of our guidelines.
- The owner must respect the tenant’s privacy as any maintenance crew would. This is part of what the tenants are paying rent for.
- The tenants may ask you a few questions about this or that pertaining to management. Your answer should always be “Not sure. You should ask management.”
- Workmanship needs to be on par with what a professional contractor would do and must be safe.
- Best practice is to let Empire handle giving the tenants notice. This is the trickiest area and the most often abused by the owners. Not giving proper notice is bad form and can be expensive. Additionally, we have a feel for when the owner may be wearing out their welcome and abusing the notice.
Overall, these few guidelines are pretty easy to follow and can save you thousands each year. However, if you are not inclined to do your own maintenance or are just wanting to experience the full freedom or professional management, Empire has a full list of qualified contractors that we rely on, as well as our companion company, Seven Hills Maintenance.
Happy Landlording!