Wear and tear depreciation is a threat to your residential rental property’s ROI. Proper maintenance is essential to boost your net operating income. Fortunately, maintaining an investment property is less laborious than keeping your own residence in good shape. Follow these five tips to give your rental property the care it requires to increase your net operating income, improve your cash flow and break even more quickly.
1) Build a Contractor Network
A Rolodex of reputable local contractors is the lifeblood of proper property maintenance. Roofers, plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians do the heavy lifting, not you. These skilled tradespeople are directly responsible for preserving your rental’s structural integrity. Your job is to find and establish mutually beneficial relationships with them.
If you don’t have any contacts yet, a simple Google search should reveal the companies operating in your area. Ask your real estate agent or broker for recommendations. Look for contractors that offer services that align with your maintenance needs, can complete work safely and efficiently, and have excellent track records. Narrow down options based on reviews and ratings, then dig deeper into their qualifications.
Ask candidates for credentials, such as a license, insurance and certifications. Verify the information to ensure they can operate legally in your state. Working with credentialed contractors makes it easy to receive assistance from relevant state agencies to resolve disputes.
2) Schedule System Inspections
Preventive maintenance enables skilled tradespeople to identify potential issues and address them early. Home problems only worsen when undiscovered and unrepaired for too long. By the time you learn about them, they may be more expensive and disruptive to fix.
Reacting to issues after they arise can be a form of negligence. Failing to do everything in your power to prevent or mitigate the damage can cause more headaches. Your insurance provider will likely use your shortcomings in essential upkeep as grounds for claim denial, forcing you to cover repairs out of pocket.
Set roofing, plumbing and electrical inspections regularly. Sign up for long-term proper maintenance programs with your trusted contractors to get your rental’s vital systems checked routinely and thoroughly at a lower cost. Planning these home checkups ahead of time makes it convenient to inform your tenant about them and prepare the unit for the job.
Professional inspections document your property’s maintenance history, serving as evidence for insurance purposes. Reports should reveal any damage found and recommended solutions and their level of urgency, giving you time and flexibility to schedule and fund repairs.
3) Observe Seasonal HVAC Servicing
HVAC equipment needs professional attention frequently. Your system should be in good shape before the hottest and coldest seasons — otherwise, your heating or cooling unit may break down at the worst possible time and put your tenant in a difficult situation. A similar situation occurred in San Antonio, where a tenant’s apartment felt like a furnace on days with triple-digit temperatures during the summer of 2025 due to a faulty air conditioner.
Basic HVAC care is a tenant’s responsibility. Your renter should change thermostat batteries when necessary, regularly replace or wash air filters, and keep the vents unobstructed at all times. A qualified technician should handle tasks beyond day-to-day maintenance.
Schedule regular checkups to get your heating and cooling equipment adequately serviced. Regular tuneups are vital to prolong your HVAC system’s service life and avoid voiding its warranty. Aside from regulating temperature levels, a well-maintained HVAC unit also keeps indoor humidity in check and maintains high air quality levels.
4) Treat Cosmetic Issues Seriously
Some cosmetic problems impact more than aesthetics. Missing tile grout, cracked caulk, peeling paint and overgrown yard trees seem harmless now, but they should caution you about contingencies that can endanger your tenant’s health and safety.
Deteriorating ceramic tile grout in the kitchen and bathrooms can lead to dampness, which can evolve into more alarming concerns, such as mold growth. Window caulk cracks allow moisture to seep into your interior and harmful bugs to enter your property. Peeling indicates paint degradation and leaves surfaces more susceptible to water damage, while vegetation overgrowth provides pests a hiding place and can severely damage roof sections when the wind blows too hard.
These minor issues progress at varying rates, making them challenging to monitor. Still, you should take a proactive approach to head off adverse problems. For instance, resealing grout every six months to two years is a good practice to prevent bathroom tiles from becoming a breeding ground for mold.
5) Respond to Issues Promptly
Late responses diminish timely reports. In the United States, a prompt response typically means resolving the underlying issue within about seven days, but some require more urgent action.
Unfortunately, property investors who don’t use property managers often miss emergency calls from tenants in distress. Being available 24/7 to renters is humanly impossible, especially when you’re an absentee landlord.
Strongly consider outsourcing this responsibility to a local property management company. This service provider is reachable around the clock to assist renters with urgent matters. Although partnering with a property manager incurs an additional expense, it enables you to respond to emergency requests quickly, which should boost tenant satisfaction and retention in turn. The only alternative is to live next to or close to your tenant and maintain an open line of communication.
Who’s Responsible for What? Landlords and Tenants
Generally, you’re in charge of ensuring that your rental is habitable and safe. In contrast, your tenant is responsible for keeping the place clean, replacing consumables like light bulbs and smoke detector batteries, and urgently reporting structural issues and signs of infestation to you.
State landlord-tenant laws outline each party’s duties and responsibilities, protocols and penalties. Familiarize yourself with your state’s regulations to ensure compliance with the rules and create lease agreements that accurately reflect the law.
Selecting a good tenant is half the job. A reliable renter who would strictly follow your lease agreement ensures that your unit stays reasonably clean, organized and damage-free.
Prevent Investment Property Depreciation Through Proper Maintenance
Keeping your rental in good repair can be overwhelming, especially during emergencies. Use these practical tips to consistently fulfill your maintenance obligations to your tenant’s satisfaction and preserve the value of your asset.
