A tenant reports damage. What is the order of work?
From the report to the cost recorded on the unit.
Ask for photographs first, decide whether it is an emergency or can wait, get a quote before approving anything above the limit you set, and record the cost against that unit once it is done. One problem, one record, until it is closed. Repairs settled inside WhatsApp disappear with the chat.
What counts as an emergency?
- Right now: a gas leak, flooding water, an electrical short, a door or lock that leaves the unit unsafe.
- Within 24 hours: no water, no power, the only toilet out of use, a failed refrigerator.
- Schedulable: a dripping tap, weak air conditioning, paint, anything cosmetic.
The steps
- Ask for photographs and one sentence: what happened and when it started.
- Set the priority using the list above.
- Get a quote. On larger work, two quotes give you the market price.
- Approve it, and tell the tenant when the vendor is coming.
- Once done, record the cost as an expense against that unit.
Who pays?
Fair wear and appliance failure are the owner's cost. Damage through tenant negligence is theirs, which is why the move-in photographs matter. Where it is unclear, the vendor's quote usually explains the cause.
What UrusPro does for you
- Maintenance tasks carry a status, so no report goes missing.
- A vendor directory, so you are not hunting for a phone number again.
- The cost lands on the unit, so that house's cashflow is true.
One expensive mistake
Approving work without a written quote because it looked small. The bill that arrives later has nothing to be compared against.