Cool ROI Through Property Maintenance

One of the most overlooked aspects of property management is maintenance. The maintenance team is on the front lines of the community, interacting with and satisfying residents, and saving money by extending the life of appliances and equipment. It’s a mistake to underestimate their value.   “The service team is the heartbeat of return on investment, and selection is paramount to success of the bottom line,” said Mark Cukro, founder and owner of Harrisburg, N.C.-based Serviceteam Training that has been providing certification training to multifamily technicians nationwide for 15 years. According to Cukro, companies that rate highly for both customer service and performance almost always have a good service team and enough techs to care properly for the community. The general rule in the multifamily industry for the number of technicians per property is one per 100 units, which Cukro says is the absolute bare minimum for mediocre to average service. “For instance, if you have a 30-year-old property with 200 units and two maintenance techs, there’s no way your property can provide amazing service. But if you have 200 units and four technicians and the property is 40 years old, you are probably going to have really good service. Residents don’t mind living in old buildings. What they do mind is someone taking too long to respond to service requests,” he said.   Team building The first step toward building a quality maintenance team is hiring the right people. The next is retaining them. But in today’s tight job market, it has become increasingly difficult to find qualified technicians. One reason is the shift in the education system that has pushed high school graduates toward a four-year college degree while nearly eliminating trades as an educational option. According to Cukro, baby boomers seem to have the most proficient level of trade skills of the two largest generations, but as thousands retire e...