When you own your home but are renting it out, you need to make sure that you are able to make the necessary repairs and handle maintenance throughout the year. Various maintenance vendors are available to handle issues pertaining to plumbing, roofing, electrical, and more. Knowing how to find the most reputable vendors and negotiate with them is vital to getting quality work done at affordable rates.
How to Find Vendors
When you need maintenance done, you have to find a vendor that is capable of handling it. You’re not going to hire a plumber for electrical work just like you won’t hire an electrician for plumbing repairs.
You might get recommendations from property managers in Alameda, see an advertisement in a paper, or rely on local directories. Anywhere you get the recommendations is fine, but some places are going to carry more clout than others. If you can find someone who has already used a particular vendor, then you learn more about them and can rely on the vendor a bit.
Find out what the vendors offer. Some might provide more than one type of service, thus making it easier for you to rely on one vendor to get more work done. This can also help you negotiate better rates because you’re giving them more business.
Explore Reputable Vendors
It’s important to work with a reputable vendor is because you are going to be inviting them into a home. They need to know what they are doing so that they don’t end up making the problem worse.
If you don’t hire a reputable vendor for maintenance issues, you might as well save the money and take the DIY approach. Reputable companies are those that have a work telephone number, website, and are licensed by the state. They should also show up in a van that has the company’s name on it. It ensures you’re not working with a “fly by night” company that won’t honor any kind of guarantee or warranty that they provide.
Research the Vendor’s Reputation
It’s a good idea to take a few minutes to research the vendor’s reputation before you hire them for any kind of maintenance work. A company with a bad reputation could pose a number of problems for you, so it’s best to know from the very beginning.
Review them with the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any complaints filed against them. You should also be able to find reviews from past customers about them online. If a vendor has a large number of positive reviews, you can expect to have a similar experience.
Ask for License and Insurance Information
Every maintenance vendor you work with should be licensed and insured. This is for your protection to ensure that they don’t damage the property.
The best vendors take the time to get a license because it is what is required by the state. It shows that they are legitimate and that they have experience in the trade that they practice.
The insurance is also there for your protection. In the event that a vendor damages your property, it should be their insurance policy used to fix the problem, not yours.
Having a vendor tell you that they are licensed and insured is very different from asking for the information so that you can see it. You might also want to call the insurance company to verify the policy number for further peace of mind.
Get Quotes from Several Vendors
You don’t want to spend any more on maintenance and what is absolutely necessary. There might be several plumbers, electricians, or other professional technicians in the area.
Rather than hiring one and hoping that they have the most affordable rate, you should have several vendors come out and provide you with a quote. This will make it easier to know that you are getting a good rate. You can then continue to use that vendor going forward when you require services.
Work with Property Managers
A property management company in Alameda can make it easier for you to find and negotiate with vendors. This is because they will take care of managing the property on your behalf.
When tenants call, they will call the property management company instead of you. We have vendors that we work with regularly and have been vetted through our system. This ensures that quality work is done throughout your rental properties.
Anything that saves you work should be utilized. You want to do whatever it takes to protect your property and the vendors you hire will make or break you.
You can work with property managers in Alameda by calling us today. At Keyrenter East Bay, we can discuss repair plans for your rental property so you don’t have to deal with all of the vendors on your own.
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