Recommended yearly maintenance for SFR?

Question

Hello BPs,

I read an interesting article for pest control - and it come to my mind -  how many of you have a pest control service maintenance as a yearly line item maintenance on your rental properties? If you have a SFR in Florida / Texas - do you perform pest control maintenance ? And just to expend the topic - what are yours line items for a yearly maintenance on your SFR rentals ?

Kyle

Kalo (Kyle) Atanasoff · Answer

Thank you @Al Williamson for your comment.

It is interesting to find a pest control service is a line item for a regular maintenance on most of the people? If yes, how often?.

In addition, what other yearly or monthly maintenance items you have on your SFRs/condos ?

I have the following:

- Clean Gutters - yearly

- AC maintenance - yearly

- AC filters - every 6 months

- Gas furnace filters - yearly

Mehran K. · Answer

This is an awesome thread Kyle. It will definitely be helpful for people doing research in the future. I'm glad you made the post!

Jon Huber · Answer

Kyle, at my triplex in Florida, there are additional expenses that my SFR doesn't have. These are including (but not limited to):

Exterminator / Pest control: $37 monthly

Water softener maintenance: $10-35 monthly

Septic waste removal: $250 every other year.

There are a couple other minor expenses, but none that would affect my bottom line.

Kalo (Kyle) Atanasoff · Answer

Great, lets get more input

@Jon Huber?

@Brandon Turner?

@Evelyn Jordan?

Kalo (Kyle) Atanasoff · Answer

@Mehran K.

Btw, should we rename the topic ? "Recommended yearly maintenance for SFR" ?

Kalo (Kyle) Atanasoff · Answer

Good to hear from you @Mehran K.

It's a great point on cleaning the gutters 2x a year. As far as expenses - this what we do as well - 5% for capex and 5% for day to day maintenance, however sometimes the people do no keep on track on all these "recommended" and "preferable" preventive maintenance items. I told could be a great idea to have a topic and discuss them, first for SFR and then for Multi-faimily.

Interesting to hear other "preferable" maintenance items. I will create a spreadsheet and upload them in the FilePlace.

Kyle

Mehran K. · Answer

Heya Kyle!

I expect gutters to be cleaned at least 2x a year. This is based on location though.  I really don't line item each expense. I just assume 10% gross rents will go towards expenses at least. I lump all these costs into that 10%. It could be higher or lower in actuality though!

I don't do pest control on my properties, unless something comes up. So it's not preventative. I don't even do that here on my primary residence either.

Kalo (Kyle) Atanasoff · Answer

Any other line items ?

@Brandon Turner ?

@Mehran K. ?

@Tim Ostrom ?

Kalo (Kyle) Atanasoff · Answer

Great,

Thank you for all the replays. This could be a great topic as a reference for regular maintenance items on SFRs. Just to recap so far:

- Clean Gutters - yearly

- AC maintenance - yearly

- AC filters - every 6 months

- Gas furnace filters - yearly

- Hot Water Heater drain - yearly

- Preventative pest control - quarterly (it could be bi-monthly, depends of the area)

- Sewer and storm water line clearing - ones in tree years

What other items you have as a preventive maintenance ?

Best,

Kalo

Oren K. · Answer

• Yes - On the MF I have in Cleveland, Common areas monthly and in-unit on report of any bugs.
• Just spent a bunch of money on sewer and storm water line clearing. Plan on doing maintenance clearing every 2 or 3 years.
• Heating boiler - annually
• etc

It boils down to the old saying of 'Pay me now or Pay me more later'. As long as the property is performing, the vast majority of the time, you are better off doing regular maintenance vs. waiting for something to break / fail be a problem that could escalate to a crisis (nothing like a sewer line back up!).

Recommended yearly maintenance for SFR?

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