An expectation that is common to every commercial property manager when they are initially engaged is that they will increase the profitability of the commercial assets while keeping operating expenses to a minimum.
The challenge, of course is that every buildingcommercialproperty is ageing and with age comes deterioration, system malfunction and damage in one form or another.
To be cost effective and keep the client (landlord) satisfied and at the same time, maintain the building in optimum condition (keeping the tenant happy), the commercial property manager needs to assist the landlord in developing a long term plan which is specific to their particular building. This must also take into account any relevant circumstances for the landlord and his assets. The plan should contain a strategy for dealing with various long and short term maintenance issues.
This guidance is not about separating jobs or the allocation of responsibility for the particular repair or maintenance action (that is prescribed in the Leasing Agreement). The objective is to identify and classify major maintenance tasks and their importance, urgency, predictability, frequency and the cost that we can expect to be associated with them. When these things are determined, it is much easier to develop systems and schedules to deal with them effectively and in a timely manner. These are tasks that fall into the category of either routine maintenance or preventative maintenance.
Of course, there will always be the possibility of unforeseen break down and damages. Maintenance actions of this nature can be classified as corrective maintenance. The limiting of unnecessary spending in this area could be achieved by regularly visiting the site, fostering good communication with tenants and dealing with minor issues before they become urgent or dangerous.
To handle maintenance issues professionally and diligently, the property manager would benefit from being trained and knowledgeable about building, building characteristics and building operating systems. In addition to this, exceptional organizational ability and comprehensive record keeping skills will make the job of the property manager much easier and their clients much happier.
Although the property manager’s role is very important, it is only one part of the puzzle. The landlord’s ability to recognise and adopt the benefits of this structural approach, committing to dealing only with trustworthy and respectable contractors and always seeking their tenant’s cooperation and participation are equally important.
If the property manager fails to obtain a clear understanding of their role in maintenance, jobs that should have been done yesterday are put off to be dealt with tomorrow. This is called deferred maintenance and practicing this habit is self-defeating and leads to faster building deterioration and increased, out of control maintenance costs.
