If you are a property owner with tenants, you probably already know how essential it is to keep them happy and satisfied. Just like finding and keeping customers, It’s much less work and expense to keep a good tenant, then going through the often lengthy and uncertain process of finding a new one.

So how do you keep those tenants happy? How do you ensure that they keep renewing their leases? The answer lies in providing them service and value. Making sure you are keeping up with proper maintenance to the property is something your tenants depend on and always appreciate. Roofing inspections are an essential part of this process. 

When an expert like Horizon roofing inspects your roof, we can identify small problems before they become big ones. Your tenants may not even notice a contractor inspecting and repairing a small portion of a roofing system. If you want until the problem becomes big, they most certainly will not appreciate potentially having the interruptions that come with roof replacement or major repair.

Roofing Inspections Find Small Problems Early

A roof is subjected to a lot of wear and tear, even in our gorgeous Orange County climate. First, there’s the hot rays of the sun beating down, day after day. Then, there are the weather elements like rain and hail. Temperature swings from hot summers to cool winters cause expansion and contraction that can damage shingles, waterproofing paper and sub roofing.

Then, there’s leaves and debris that accumulate in windy conditions like we sometimes have when the ocean winds blow through. When all that junk collects, it allows moisture to accumulate where it can do damage and invite in pests like termites.

The good news is that a properly engineered and installed roof is built to take abuse like this for years. That doesn’t mean it’s maintenance free, however. No matter how good your roof is, from time to time it needs to be inspected.

Professional roofers know what to look for to make sure that vents are clear, debris piles are removed and that any broken shingles or tiles are repaired. Getting after these problems early and quickly means they can be repaired in minutes, not in days.

Major Repairs Mean Major Interruption For Your Tenants

There’s no question that if your roof needs major repairs, you’ll need to take care of that immediately. When water damage or termites have diminished the structural integrity of the roof, it needs to be fixed as soon as possible to prevent any potential safety hazards for the occupants.

Unfortunately, this may mean days of noise for your tenants from the hammering and walking on the roof. It may even require tenants to move out for a few days if the interior spaces are left open to the sky while the repairs are taking place. 

While the noise alone can be highly disruptive to conducting business, there’s also usually a team of roofers working to get the job done, which means parking spaces will be taken up. Entrances may be blocked by ladders, and other areas may need to be blocked off as debris is removed. Asphalt and tar are often heated on site, meaning odor and noise, which can be disruptive as well. 

Whether your tenants are residential or commercial, all of this adds up to major disruption. While tenants might understand after a major weather event or something out of your control, they may be very unhappy if they sense that the problems being addressed are from a lack of preventative maintenance.

Keep Your Tenants Happy By Showing Your Commitment To Keeping Your Property In Tip-Top Shape!

Good communication is always key to building a solid landlord-tenant relationship. Whether it’s face to face or through a flier, letting your tenants know when an inspection is taking place will not only give them plenty of notice, it gives you the opportunity to show how much you care about providing a safe, secure property that they’ll want to stay in for years to come.

When you do preventative maintenance like roof inspections, it’s important to let your tenants know why. Otherwise, they might not understand the steps you are taking to invest in your property for the long term. If there’s some noise from the inspection, they’ll see it as a value, rather than a disruption. Phrase it as a value-add rather than an inconvenience, because that’s exactly what it is: more value for their rent in the form of a safe, well maintained structure to live or conduct business in.

What Is Involved In A Through Roof Inspection?

Roof inspections can usually be accomplished in a fairly quick amount of time. Qualified experienced roofers like the ones you’ll find at Horizon know exactly what to look for, so they don’t take more time than necessary. 

They’ll be looking for broken or missing shingles or tiles; evidence of water damage or termites; loose or damaged fascia boards as well as gutter function. All of these elements are essential parts of a working roofing system. When there’s a problem in one part of the system, it can affect the other ones down the line. That’s why it takes the expertise of a professional to make sure your inspection covers everything.

Sometimes, we’ll spot small repairs and can take care of those right away. Just imagine, a loose shingle: if we can properly replace that at the time of an inspection, when the rain and wind comes, your roof will be protected. Now, imagine if that shingle wasn’t discovered, the damage builds and spreads, and now instead of replacing a shingle, we might be talking about an entire section of water damaged roof.

Being A Responsible Property Owner Means Taking Preventative Maintenance Seriously

When you are a property owner, you have a responsibility to your tenants to be sure the structure and unit they rent will be safe, dry and protected. They also want to live their lives and conduct their business with minimal interruption and intrusion! When you show how seriously you take your duty as landlord, they’ll want to keep leasing from you for as long as possible.

Happy tenants are long term tenants! Call us at Horizon today at (714) 328-1967 to schedule a roof inspection today! The sooner we have a chance to evaluate your roofing system, the better chances your repairs will be smaller, and you’ll keep those same tenants for years to come.

Sources:

http://www.pacificroof.com/blog/want-happy-tenants-inspect-your-roof

https://rentalhousingjournal.com/7-proactive-maintenance-tips-that-keep-tenants-happy/