Is Your Maintenance Team Ready for Spring Cleaning?

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Whether you have one maintenance man and a small apartment complex, or a much larger building and a team of people to maintain it correctly, there’s always more to be done when spring arrives. The cleaning and maintenance that have been put off all winter have to be dealt with, and that can result in a long list to tackle. If you’re a landlord in a location that gets a lot of snow, you may also discover problems that were hidden by the weather, and that only reveal themselves once things begin to thaw out.

Your tenants will likely get into the spirit of spring cleaning, as well, which can mean a lot of extra things leaving their apartments. Those things are doing to end up in the complex’s dumpsters, which can quickly overflow. Residents may also try to throw out larger items by leaving them beside the dumpsters, and that can present a problem when it comes to the trash getting picked up. Especially during spring, maintenance people who work at apartment complexes need to be vigilant, in order to make sure the buildings and grounds are being taken care of properly.

One of the best ways you can ensure that your maintenance man – or maintenance team – is ready for spring is to have a list of the items that need to be taken care of. Spring is often a time to clean the gutters, check the roof for leaks or other damage, work on new landscaping, repaint the exterior of the building, and fix anything outside that couldn’t be done during the winter. That can include carports and garages, playground equipment, benches, tables, and grills in public areas, balconies, and other places that will see a lot of use with the weather warming up.

By having a checklist, a maintenance team can look at everything methodically, and make sure they don’t miss anything. Of course, there will also be the routine maintenance requests from tenants that will have to be done around the other work. With a list of items to address, your maintenance team can stay on track and not let distractions get in the way of making sure the entire complex is ready for spring. If you only have one maintenance person and he or she seems overworked, it can be worthwhile to hire another person on a temporary basis, for spring cleaning and maintenance help.

Not only will that make it easier on your full-time maintenance people, but it can also help tenants get any maintenance requests taken care of more quickly, keeping them happy with the service they receive from you and your complex. Happy tenants are generally good tenants, and receiving quick help with any issues they have with their apartment or the common areas can make a big difference, especially in the spring when everyone seems to want to get out and do things. By getting your maintenance team properly prepared, you and your tenants can enjoy spring.