Why Should Landlords Have Their Air Filters Cleaned?

If you suffer from asthma or allergies, you may know the value of having a clean and safe working environment. It does not matter if it`s a residence, condominium, or office building. If you suffer from asthma or allergies then you know how hard it can be to keep your workplace clean. It can take a lot of time to clean out the mold on the air vents and walls. If you have experienced an increase in asthma or allergies within the past year, you already know how difficult it can be to deal with these severe symptoms. If you are not already doing this and you aren`t, you should be.

What Causes the Decline in Apartment Air Quality?

There are numerous kinds of air duct systems and the majority of them utilize the same type of Freon. Freon is a chemical that flows through air ducts, and it combines with allergens found in the area. The result can be hazardous. Unfortunately, a large number of landlords have discovered that the air duct systems in rental units can cause severe health problems and allergies.

How Does This Affect Tenants and Landlords?

Imagine that you find that the air duct within your apartment is not maintained correctly. In that situation, there`s a big possibility that the air in your home will be contaminated with mold or mildew. These allergens may cause skin irritations and allergic reactions. This is among the most common problems associated with air ducts.

Tenants May Develop Allergies and Irritations That Could Worsen and Spread

If these problems are left untreated, there is an excellent possibility that they will get worse. Mold and mildew could spread through buildings if they aren`t removed from the air-ducts. When this happens it is possible that the allergies of tenants may also get worse. That`s why you must ensure that the air duct units are regularly maintained.

Low Living Standards in Your Apartment Could Lead to the of Rental Profit

They can result in serious financial loss to landlords, and health issues. For instance the monthly rent of an apartment or condo. Your gross profits will be most lucrative when the temperature is at its highest in the summer time. Profits will drop drastically during the winter months, because high temperatures make it hard for the people who live there to stay cool. This can have a major effect on your relationships with tenants.

Servicing Your Air Ducts Periodically Helps to Avoid Any Damage and Problems

Many landlords do not realize the importance of keeping their air ducts maintained and regularly serviced. By doing this it will stop the spreading of allergens and assure greater health and wellbeing within the property. In addition, by having your air duct unit serviced regularly, there will be fewer instances when you have to deal with allergy-related issues. This will help in reducing the amount of stress that those living in the house are often experiencing.

A Well-Maintained Air Duct is A Well-Maintained Living Space and A Sellable Asset

Regular maintenance of your air ducts will bring you further advantages. This can increase your property`s resale values. Clean air ducts will aid prospective buyers to locate a home that they like. Clean air ducts will help you let people live in your house. You`ll get more rent from your tenants if you keep your air ducts tidy. If you are serious about getting a great rent discount, you must make sure that your air duct unit is serviced regularly.

There are many more reasons to regularly clean your air ducts to ensure that your indoor air stays clear and fresh. Additionally, when you do this, you will reduce the amount of money that you spend on heating and cooling during the summer and winter months. If you keep your air ducts serviced regularly, you can anticipate that it will help you save a significant amount of money in the long run. Regularly servicing your air ducts is a good idea to ensure that your living area to be as relaxing as it can be, while keeping your cooling and heating costs to a minimum.

Property owners often hear about property management companies and wonder what they are, in so much as how they benefit a property owner. There are many misconceptions regarding how property managers work and their responsibilities, as well as what sort of properties property management companies can be hired to maintain.

Let’s go over the ins and outs of property management and find out if it’s a service you can benefit from.

What is Property Management? 

Property management means hiring a third party as a property manager to oversee the daily responsibilities of residential, commercial, or industrial properties. Generally, the property manager will ensure the day-to-day repairs, maintenance, and upkeep are taken care of and is usually tasked with caring for investment properties.

What are the Property Manager’s Responsibilities?

The essence of property management is being delegated work that the owner or developer has no time to handle. These responsibilities can range from handling tenants to ensuring the property is properly maintained, specifically, a property manager’s job can include:

• Screening potential tenants
• Signing, drafting and renewing leases 
• Collecting rent from tenants
• Arranging for repairs for the property
• Creating and adhering to property maintenance budgets
• Preparing vacant units
• Advertising the rental property
• Handling lease agreements with tenants
• Rent adjustments
• Supervising property employees
• Handling evictions and move-out processes
• Handling tax for the property
• Ensuring property compliance with the law
• Property record keeping

While this list isn’t exhaustive, it gives a good and rounded impression of what type of responsibilities you can expect property managers to take on. 

Types of Property Management

There are four types of properties that property managers are likely to work and care for:

Residential Real Estate Property

Residential properties can fall to a property management firm usually when it’s a rental space and can include:

• Single-family homes
• Multi-family homes
• Townhouses
• Apartment buildings
• Manufactured homes
• REO properties
• Vacation rentals

Commercial Property

Commercial property is commonly associated with property management companies and can include a wide range of spaces, including:

• Co-working spaces rented by the day or hour, commonly used by freelancers and contractors
• Office properties, such as doctor’s offices or large buildings with multiple offices and levels
• Retail properties, such as malls, restaurants, gas stations, and big-box stores
• Accommodation properties, such as hotels, motels, and resorts. 

Industrial Properties

An industrial property often has more responsibilities for the property managers than the other categories due to the nature of the work performed in these spaces, such as bidding for vendors and compliance with industry codes. Some of the types of properties that fall under property management companies’ purview include:

• Distribution facilities
• Warehouses
• Food packaging plants
• Automative plants
• Steel mills

Special-Use Properties

Special use, or special purpose property, means a property that is designed for a specific use and often translates to property managers needing specific skills to successfully manage them. A special-purpose property includes:

• Schools
• Colleges and universities
• Places of worship
• Resorts
• Sports arenas
• Theaters
• Senior care centers and facilities

Benefits of Having Property Management 

No matter the type of real estate property you own, there are a host of benefits to hiring a property management company, including:

Screening out problem tenants: likely the biggest headache for any real estate owner. Due to a property manager’s experience, they have the insight to see red flags and spot good qualities in a potential tenant, making the screening process more efficient and having better quality tenants long-term.

Decreasing turnover: piggybacking off the first advantage, lower turnover means stable property income and happy tenants. 
Avoiding legal issues: an experience property manager knows the housing and landlord-tenant laws: being able to navigate them while having good relationships with lawyers who specialize in these types of disputes. Some companies will also take care of fees associated with evictions or property damage issues.

Saving money on maintenance and repair: Like being connected with lawyers, an experienced real estate property manager usually works with a maintenance company that due to their professional relationship can benefit from discounted work without losing on quality. They can also stay ahead of repairs by having the time for regular inspections, reducing emergency repair costs.

Property Management For You

Now that you understand what property management is and the common responsibilities they have, along with what type of real estate they handle; do you think you’d benefit from hiring such a company? 

Here at Goodale & Barbieri, we do just this. As one of the largest developers, property managers, and a leading real estate firm, we understand what to look for with tenants and the nuances of managing a property. Since 1937 we’ve handled properties of all sorts and currently over 4 million square feet of commercial property. Discover more about working with experienced experts by following the link below.

To learn more information about this topic, please check out Property Management