Experienced property managers know that it takes at least 10 trade vendors to maintain a property in good nick.
And as it’s the responsibility of property managers to oversee the general safety, security and comfort of the residence and its tenants, both landlords and tenants alike expect a list of trusted trades vendors to be provided to them at the commencement of any tenancy agreement.
If your list of tradespeople isn’t complete or may be in need of refreshing, then use this article as a reference guide.
Read through the list we’ve provided below to check off how many of these essential trade vendors you’ve already got in your agency contacts.
Here’s an overview of the essential trade vendors that should be in every property manager’s phone contact list:
1. Locksmith
2. Electrician
3. Plumber
4. Pest Control
5. Rubbish Removal
6. Roofing & Guttering Experts
7. Cleaner
8. Painters & Plasterers
9. HVAC Technicians
10. Landscapers
1. Locksmith
Whether you’ve been on the receiving end of a tenant or family member asking for help after a lockout, or you’re the one who’s suffered the front door slamming behind you before you had a chance to grab your keys, getting locked out at the end of the night is not a fun situation to recover.
Unfortunately, these events inevitably do happen from time to time, but by calling an emergency locksmith, you can at least enjoy a speedy resolution to after hours lockouts.
Alongside being able to help tenants regain access to properties in the event of an after hours lockout, most locksmiths can also install high-tech access solutions (i.e. digital locks) and even CCTV cameras and other security measures to enforce safe and warranted access to your properties around the clock.
If you can find a reliable local locksmith that offers all these services as well as 24/7 availability, you’ll want to keep their contact information on your vendor list.
2. Electrician
Electrical faults are amongst the most common after hours concerns for tenants. As such, you should always have an electrician on speed dial, for all the electrical accidents, mishaps, and emergencies that can crop up.
From faulty wiring to urgent total power failures, tenants won’t be happy if they’re without power for long.
Your electricians should also conduct general safety inspections in between tenancies or annually, just to ensure all electrical safety regulations have been met and also to provide insights for smart technological or energy-efficient upgrades.
Consider the help of an electrician to install LED lighting or an induction cooktop, for example.
Again, make sure you find an electrician with 24/7 call-out availability for out-of-hours emergencies. Your tenants should also be provided with this number, to avoid the risk of them attempting dangerous DIY electrical jobs themselves.
3. Plumber
Rounding up the holy trinity of the most essential trade vendors to feature in your contact list is a quality plumber.
This is the number you’ll be scrambling for in case of burst pipes, broken taps, and even leaking gas. Issues such as blocked toilets, a lack of hot water or clogged sinks require prompt, expert service to avoid escalating into larger (and more financially significant) problems, so it’s not wise to have you or your residents attempt a DIY job here either.
A reliable plumber can make a huge difference in short-term emergencies, but also provide quick and expert solutions that avoid irritable longer-term consequences, such as water-stained furniture in the event of a flooding property caused by burst pipes.
For rental residences, keeping the number of a roof plumber on hand is also a great idea, as roof leaks should also be addressed as promptly as possible to reduce risks of further water damage to the property or the formation of mold.
4. Pest Control
Though you’ll likely have made your best efforts to ensure your property is pest-proof, critters still have a knack for finding their way into any space where humans live, especially if it’s somewhere they can access warmth or food.
Keep a pest control number handy in case you or your residents spot cockroaches, rodents or ants invading your property.
It’s also important to conduct thorough termite inspections every year, as these pests are notoriously hard to detect, yet are responsible for costing the country over a billion dollars‘ worth of repairs each year while they’re busy chewing away the wooden structures in your property undetected.
Pest control is the responsibility of both tenants and property managers, so ensure you enlist the help of pest control experts to determine if you’ve done everything you can to reduce the risk of infestation.
5. Rubbish Removal
When end-of-lease time rolls around, you can bet your tenants will have lots of junk they need to dispose of, or furniture and personal belongings they just don’t want to transport with them to their new home.
Whatever arrangement you have, but especially if you’re offering non-furnished tenancies, a professional rubbish removal company’s number should always reside in your phone.
Whatever the quantity of junk or bulky furniture left behind, a team of experts can show up to the property and remove what needs to be taken away, professionally and promptly.
It saves you the hassle and heavy labour of managing these items and taking trips to the tip yourself, whilst ensuring your property doesn’t get cluttered with excess furniture and waste.
6. Roofing & Guttering Experts
Heavy rains can cause leaking roofs and gutters to bulge and leak. Rather than wait for these unfortunate weather events to wreak havoc on your property interiors, keep the number of a local roofing company in your contact list that you can call on for routine inspections.
They can conduct annual maintenance checks to identify any vulnerabilities or weaknesses in your property’s roof and guttering before your property gets flooded.
Even if their task is as simple as clearing dead leaves and debris from the gutter, it can make a huge difference. They can also apply waterproof coatings and sealings to address moisture buildup and strengthen your roofing structure.
7. Cleaner
As tenants move out and before the next household moves in or you put property photos back on the rental markets, enlisting the help of a professional cleaning service is always a good idea.
Using A-grade cleaning chemicals and trained professionals can ensure not a single spot is missed, restoring your property to ‘good-as-new’ status before new individuals or families inspect or move in.
It’s also handy to keep your cleaner on call in case your tenants want to enlist their own services for emergency situations or their own cleaning needs, especially if you’re managing long-term rentals.
Aside from saving you from getting your hands dirty, professional cleaners can conduct more specialised services, such as carpet and curtain cleaning, pressure washing floors and driveways, and removing dust and deep-set stains.
8. Painters & Plasterers
A painter or plasterer is unlikely to be someone you’ll need on speed dial, but you should still keep their number stored in your phone.
A fresh coat of paint can dramatically increase property demand if you’re between tenants and listing your property or hosting inspections. Even if you’re not redecorating an entire room or wall, professional paint jobs can fix the appearance of small rips, stains and water marks.
Beyond aesthetics, plasterers can conduct drywall repairs and any visual damage to the exterior of your property. This shows that your property is being well taken care of, which is important not only to tenants but also to potential thieves in the area looking for unoccupied or poorly secured properties.
9. HVAC Technicians
When the weather in Australia can swing from extreme to extreme, adequate heating, cooling and ventilation systems are essential for property managers to be on top of.
HVAC technicians are responsible for the repairs, maintenance, and installations of features such as radiators, air conditioning units, dehumidifiers, integrated cooling or heating systems and anything else that contributes to the temperature, airflow, and humidity of the property.
You can also contact them for duct cleaning services for air quality improvements. Tenants can claim significant damage to their health if they’re living in conditions harmful to their respiratory system, so make sure your HVAC systems are in good working order, and you know who to contact if there’s a problem.
10. Landscapers
If your property has an outdoor decking or garden area, a landscaper or gardener can help keep the major elements of your outside space in check.
From chopping overhanging or dangerous leaning branches to repairing a fence that was backed into by a vehicle, landscapers can help the cosmetic and security elements of the exterior of your property remain well looked after.
Gardeners can even help renovate your garden into a space that dramatically increases your property’s value, curb appeal and tenant demand. You might ask your tenants to mow the grass here and there, but you can’t expect every leaseholder to be a natural green thumb!
Essential Trade Vendors for Property Managers
Whether you’re gearing up to get into property management, or you’ve just bought your first investment property and are doing your due diligence in assessing estate agencies, knowing which trades vendors are required for property management is a must.
Make sure you’re in the strongest position to deal with issues or emergencies by having a direct port of contact with each of the vendors we’ve outlined above.
And for property managers – remember to cross-reference customer reviews and conduct your own research on local tradespeople when collating your full vendor list.
Look for a strong website, clear pricing structures, and positive testimonials across different spaces online (i.e. Google Maps, Airtasker, Choice, social media, and even Reddit!).
Be sure to also get in touch with the traders to scope them out before you need to rely on them in an emergency.
With the support and easy contact of these ten types of traders behind you, you’re sure to be a confident, competent property manager who can deal with risks and cosmetic issues before they become genuine problems, and have a plan of action in place for unexpected emergencies.
