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5 People Every New Landlord Should Have On Call

Owning a rental property is full of ups and downs. One day you are collecting checks and loving life. The next you are saddled with a slew of maintenance requests and tenant problems. You may go months without hearing from a tenant and then in the matter of days face three potential issues. Instead of scrambling around when things pop up you are better off preparing for the worst. There are a handful of people that every landlord should have on speed dial for when you need them. Not only will this make your life easier, but you will not have to pay desperation prices when the unexpected occurs. Making contacts and networking now makes every landlords life easier down the road. Here are five important contacts every landlord should have.

• Plumber. In a perfect world you would find a jack of all trades handy-person who can handle multiple household tasks. Not only are these people difficult to find, they aren’t experts in niche fields. Your rental property is too valuable to have anyone work on them. For specific areas of work, you need to find a licensed, professional who you know can do the job. On the surface, anyone can find someone to fix a clogged toilet but oftentimes this only puts a band aid on the real issue. A reliable plumber will not only handle all the obvious items, but they will keep minor issues from becoming major ones. A clogged toilet can be an indicator the sewer line may need to be cleaned. Not picking up on this can literally cost you thousands of dollars in future repairs. Hopefully, you won’t need to reach a plumber, but if an issue pops up you should have a plumber you can quickly call.

• Electrician. The electrical items in a rental are something you should leave to the professionals. It is not like painting a bedroom where if you mess up you can clean it up or hope nobody notices. A mistake with the “electricals” in a property can literally be life threatening if you don’t know what you are doing. Where you may be able to find discounted labor, a good electrician is something you should be willing to pay for quality. Even if the job seems basic enough on the surface all it takes is one error or oversight to create a catastrophic error. The odds are you are not going to need an electrician to fix something in a pinch. However, you should have someone you know can comfortably handle a job when you need them.

• Lawn care. It is always a popular argument in the real estate community whether you should do something in your rental simply because you can. The longer you own a property for the more you will realize there are a handful of simply tasks you will need to do from time to time. Everything from painting the hallway to cutting the grass are items you can easily do on your own. However, as an investor is this the best use of your time? Cutting the grass requires you to stop what you are doing, pack the lawnmower, drive to the property, cut the grass and then continue what you were doing. The offset to this is that you won’t have to pay someone anywhere from $30-$60 per mow, but you will have more time to focus on your business. Only you can answer what is best for you, but you should at least consider finding a reliable lawn care company. Even if you only use them occasionally or for seasonal cleanups they are a good contact to have in your phone.

• Snow removal. It is never too early to find a reliable snow removal company. Not only are they a good resource to have you may be able to get a seasonal, bulk discount. Some companies will set a price for the year now, regardless of the number of storms that pop up. This is a roll of the dice, but it can benefit you if there is a busy winter. Either way, you want to have a company in place months before any chance of snow. By waiting until the winter, you run the risk of price increases or you may not find someone that goes to your area. The week before a major storm is slated to hit is too late to find a reliable snow removal company.

• HVAC/furnace. With any rental property it is important to perform seasonal maintenance. Taking care of the central air unit and furnace every season will help improve and prolong the useful life. As is the case with any work you get done on the property you should only use someone who is an expert in the field. It is also a good idea to have them done weeks prior to when you think you will use them. Getting the furnace serviced at the end of fall makes more senses then at the beginning of winter. By spending money and having someone you trust in place makes the most sense in the big picture.

Self-managing a rental property is difficult enough without having to find help in a pinch. Always look to retain and develop these key contacts so they are there when you need them.

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