It’s Springtime, although you wouldn’t necessarily think so with the cold and rainy weather we have been experiencing lately, and this is often the season for a re-evaluation of property maintenance and planning of work that has been delayed or put off during winter.

Proactive landlords keep up with regular maintenance of their properties which can prolong building life. We have seen first-hand how much easier it is to re-lease properties when a tenant moves out, and how much more return is achieved, if buildings are maintained well.

Some of the proactive maintenance that can be booked into a regular maintenance schedule are things like building washing, gutter clearing, roof checks, tree trimming and painting. Exterior washing of roofs and walls prolongs the life of the paintwork, so the regularity of painting is reduced. Keeping trees below the level of the gutters and away from the sides of the building reduces the build-up of leaves in gutters and again prolongs the life of paintwork and the gutters themselves. This winter highlighted the importance of regular roof checking and maintenance as many buildings around the country experienced roof leaks that could have been prevented if loose nails or unsealed joins had been given attention earlier.

In a lot of cases these types of regular maintenance matters can be included in leases as a tenant’s responsibility. We highly recommend that all maintenance issues that can be anticipated are clearly noted in the lease. There are many examples of maintenance for which it is not clear who bears the responsibility. Some of these include roller door servicing, heat pump servicing, car park maintenance (including line marking), window cleaning and gardening responsibilities. Some leases are very clear, but it is quite common for tenants and landlords to misunderstand what is written in the lease. When negotiating leases please include your Commercial Property Manager as we can recommend extra wording for clarity and work with tenants, so they understand their responsibilities.  This also helps at inspection time when issues are identified.

Chat to your Commercial Property Manager about the maintenance for your building and make a plan, if you haven’t already done so, to tick off some important proactive maintenance jobs that could help your building and investment in the long run.

Kind regards

James Bangerter

General Manager – Commercial Property
apm

Feel free to contact our Commercial Team via the contact form below.