Itemized receipts for PM repairs?

Question

I have one unit that is under Property Mgmt.  Some minor plumbing was done & I asked for receipts.

(replace a faucet & a hose bib)

The receipt was not itemized - just a vendor invoice for parts & labor combined.

Is this 'standard' practice for PM companies?

Also, I had asked for photos of before & after, but vendor did not provide them.

Should I ask that tenant take photo of new faucet for my records?

(Going forward I'm considering adding a clause to mgmt agreement to specify before & after pictures + itemized invoices.)

Nathan Gesner · Answer

I have to agree with Julie. I'm in a small market where many of my vendors do not use email and online invoicing. A lot of invoices are handwritten and lacking in detail. The question is, do you as an owner want to get the work done properly, quickly quickly, and efficiently, or are you more concerned with an itemized invoice? If an itemized invoice in before and after pictures of that important to you, I can find you a vendor in my market that will do everything you want, but it may cause delays and you may pay a premium for it.

ask the tenant to take pictures for you And leave it at that. As long as the charges seem reasonable, a breakdown is not necessary every time. Talk to your property manager and see if they can figure out a way to do this better in the future, but don't lose sleep over this one invoice.

Lois S. · Answer

@Nathan G, this is the crux of the matter:  "As long as the charges seem reasonable"

This is exactly why I want to see the invoice itemized.

I have a MF property with  larger PM company that purchases repair supplies through their own accounts with HD, etc.  I see the charges online.  In fact, I saw that their repairman had billed us for tools that the PM had already paid for.  The PM rectified the situation for us.

Julie Hartman · Answer

@Lois S. This isn't necessarily the fault of the PM. It can depend on the service provider who does the work. Sometimes we have service providers give us itemized receipts and others do not. Many of them are either in a hurry or forgetful. It's the same for before and after photos. We lost a very good handyman because we beat him up about providing detailed receipts. He didn't want to deal with the headache so he bolted. We now have an excellent handyman who provides detailed receipts and photos but most other service provides don't. For a faucet, I would ask the PM to get a photo of the faucet for you or get the model name and look it up online. I doubt you will get the PM to add a clause in the management agreement specifically for pictures. There isn't always time to do it and sometimes it's simply not practical.