Topic: Dividing Maintenance Hours Between 3 Properties

I oversee 3 properties with 2 40-hour maintenance techs.

Two properties are in the same city. The 3rd property is 25-35 minutes away.

In the beginning, I divided up maintenance hours between the 2 techs and 3 properties base on the number of units each one has.

I came up with:
Property A: 4 days per week
Property B: 3 days per week
Property C: 2 days per week

Based on need, property B needs 5 days per week and it has the least number of units.

I am having trouble getting maintenance to go to property C the 2 days per week. They always find some emergency or excuse why they can't get there. Just an example, yesterday, property B had 2 units without heat. I've had one unit with space heaters for over a month.

They have their priority list, they have their hours to be at the property. They just never seem to show up.

I really need advice, other than saying, if you don't show up, you're fired, to get them to the property.

I would have a meeting with your maintenance techs and ask them if they would find it acceptable to have space heaters for their heat source in their homes this winter. I don't really care what their answers are as it is immaterial to me. I would then reassign techs according to the needs to the properties. If Property B needs someone there 5 days a week, then assign someone there. I'd make sure that tech has the sufficient skills to handle all the work there. Then the other one should be held accountable to maintain the other properties. Period. For those with the space heaters, I'd call a contractor and get those furnaces up and running pronto and when you get the bill, have another meeting with the Maintenance Team and ask them who is paying for this? Should it be the company (which of course it will be) or should it be the two Maintenance Techs who seemed to think it was less important to fix? I think once the tech at Property B is up on the work orders and turns (does he need a Painter and a Cleaner to assist with turn completion?) then you can go back to reassess the needs of the properties again. Property C requires travel so are they reimbursed mileage or do they have a company truck to drive? We all have some tasks and responsibilities that we don't like, but we can't ignore an entire property because it's too much trouble to get there.

This always seems to be the issue with W2 maintenance employees. It's a necessary evil to have them, I know, but when they work for a period of time they get used to being unsupervised. They take their sweet time on jobs the like doing, and put off other jobs they don't like.

On the other hand, the maintenance employee could truly be overwhelmed with maintenance calls and turns and really can't get out to the other property. They could say, "well the PM is just shooting orders from the hip and doesn't know how long these things really take."

You could say, "You have 2 hours to complete this job." But from the sounds of it, they're actually the ones calling the shots. Give them an inch, they take a mile...
You hire W2's to have control of them, but it ends up being the other way around. Outsourcing to a contractor gives you more control on getting things done.

Is it your opinion that there are no good onsite maintenance techs Property Managers can find and hire? I have to take exception with the fact that onsite maintenance techs aren't needed. Their skills, level of expertise, and professionalism add tremendously to the running of a property when you have more than 75 units. For single family portfolios and small multi-unit buildings, an Owner could utilize this type of service. Reducing some of the most talented group of professionals I have ever worked with to "W2s" seems very negative. Yes, while it may be true that some employees slack and waste time (thus money) there are some really great maintenance techs and supervisors in the industry. Maintenance techs do spend time in many roles onsite, so it would be a nice addition to have painters, cleaners and others to handle some aspects of turn prep and completion. Again, I would be careful to not use negative terms implying the maintenance techs are a "necessary evil."

Hi Mindy,

You're right, I did sound a little negative about having W2 maintenance techs. I agree, maintenance techs are so so important to keeping the properties running well in the long run. The reason I sounded negative about having full-timers might stem from our headache trying to KEEP full timers around or just being reliable. We pay them a very competitive wage with benefits, have weekly meetings, extra training, and we even ask for their input. We do everything we can to keep them involved at a "corporate" level so they don't feel like "expendable" assets. Problem is...no matter what we do, it seems like the maintenance techs we hire start out great and then end up being a disaster months down the road. It's a revolving door it seems...

There's good help out there that you can find and hire. There are also good maintenance techs that do wonderful work and have incredible integrity. Unfortunately, those are rare..at least in our market. It's necessary to have maintenance for your properties, but the "evil" part is the struggle it takes to find the rare ones and keep them around.

Have a great day! B)

On the same note, is there any rule of thumb what is the average amount of units per maintenance tech. I know that all properties are not the same, but I am trying to establish a baseline. Your experience and input is appreciated.

I"m reading thru all the posts about the maintenance schedule and I agree, make a schedule and have the employees stick to the schedule. However, one thing hasn't been mentioned, why are you allowing no heat in two apartments for over a month? I'm in the Northeast, we cannot let this go for even a day without action. In my state, the residents have rights to heat and the property reputation would go down the tube. It makes me wonder.....

Reading the other replies In my opinion there has to be an issue other than the specific tasks. Previously someone mentioned the distance and mileage. I think some further investigation may be warranted as to why.

Any repair is like any other (repairing a furnace in one apartment vs. another)so what is the variables that make a difference at that property? Are the needed supplies readily available? Do the Technicians feel safe at that community? Is preventative maintenance being performed to decrease future requests? Is training needed to speed repairs at that community based upon the age and type of equipment being serviced?

Further more, Does the technician have the confidence and job security to give an honest answer when asked about it; or would they be punished for having an answer different than what is desired?

A possible solution would be a "ride along". If possible, spend the day as an extra set of hands with the technicians at that community. Let them run the day and gain insight into what their "normal" day is about to see if the scheduling that you envision will work for them.

Paul, those are excellent observations that I believe would be valid reasons for any tech to be opposed to traveling to my property. I actually have the best community in our small portfolio. No crime at all, easy access to and from the other properties via 4-lane highways and interstate. I've kept up preventive maintenance where the other properties have not. One of the other properties has gas Apollo heat and hot water and in a notoriously high-crime neighborhood. It gets the most maintenance hours. I keep supplies on-hand and organized for easy access. Most of my repairs are simple plumbing issues. I have work orders printed and ready for them with an extra copy to leave for the resident. I usually buy them lunch, or at least offer. I am demanding and have been told I'm "bossy," but I've never had anyone quit because they couldn't work with me (I think I'm too nice). I believe they are just comfortable on their properties and don't want to leave them. I feel like I'm an interruption. They don't see me as "their property." There's no "ownership" like they have for their main properties. I don't know how to change that. I had to put off a move-in for 5 days because the tech would not come to the property to finish the turn. He said he had 2 dishwashers and a water heater to install and couldn't get there. I'm no longer in charge of their schedule, so I just constantly make excuses for lack of service. It's to the point it is hurting my personal reputation as a property manager and I'm ready to let this owner go. My love for the property and my residents are the only thing that is keeping me there at this point.

I've never worked for a Mgr (regional or property)that offered lunches outside of corporate parties. That's hitting my motivational sweet spot! :)

Based upon what you state, then the issue is identified. The Tech's have more personal investment at the other properties. (All things being equal, the described issue of the Dishwashers were definitely prioritized improperly. The the turn should been before them and after the H2O Heater.)

In simple terms I could see a couple of possible solutions (carrot and stick options). One method might be to structure, or restructure, an incentive program making it equally important to complete tasks on all properties, or weighted toward the property that needs the attention. That's the carrot.

The stick could be something like to remove a contractor performed task at the other properties and bring it in house there. Something like Maintenance installs flooring, performs carpet cleaning, painting, roofing, or other tasks that was assigned to contractors for the sake of time management. The resources spent on the contractors there, are now spent at the property that is having issues to ensure that tasks are completed on time. (There may be contract issues that may need to be addressed to make this happen if there are different owners involved.)

Over all it seems to me that you are asking the right questions. At some point it may have to move to a "soft stick" approach of: "This is the job. All 3 properties are our responsibility. We are going to prioritize like this.... Any questions?" (the hard stick approach is Do it or your fired... I'm not a fan)

I wish you well... B)

Great feedback Mindy!

Paul, it is interesting that you should bring up ride alongs because I used to do this at different times. It is interesting the things you find out (good, bad, and the did not know) during these periods. When I started this it really improved the performance. I had a point system for my maintenance folks for work inside and outside of units, problem fixed right the first time and return calls to work on the same issues.

Also, the preventive maintenance program was important. It was a requirement to have a preventive maintenance program and to study trends which also pointed out problems in many cases even within the preventive maintenance program itself.

Ride alongs also increases a managers technical skills as well. It really helps when a maintenance person can talk to a manager about a maintenance problem and the manager can relate!

OK, I'm going to chime in and be the bad guy here. You said you've been told you're too bossy and now are no longer in charge of the techs. This tech is making up excuses as to why he can't service the property. Obviously there's an issue between you and him.

Regardless, this guy is causing lost revenue. Why are you not going to the person he does report to, ie the owner or someone with the authority to crack the whip who understands what a delayed move in does, and advise them this tech is costing them money by not finishing the unit?