How often do you schedule maintenance for your SFH?

[Andrew Chase]

I’ve had my first rental leased out for a few months now, and with winter coming, I’m trying to figure out how often I should schedule maintenance.

When I lived there, I did HVAC maintenance (heat pump system) and cleared the gutters every spring and fall. The gutters fill up with leaves in the fall and then pollen in the spring, so both times seemed necessary.

Now that it’s a rental, I’m wondering:

• Should I stick with twice-a-year maintenance (spring and fall)?
• Or would it be fine to just do everything once a year?

I know I could technically have the tenant handle the gutters, but I’d rather keep control of that since it’s important and kind of risky. Plus, this is a great tenant and I want to keep them happy.

Some context:

• My property manager does inspections twice a year and provides air filters.
• The HVAC system is from 2018 (central air/heat pump).
• I’m thinking maybe one visit from a handyman to flush the drain and clean the coils, and one visit from a professional HVAC company for a full checkup.

Curious what others would do in this situation. How do you balance cost, tenant satisfaction, and keeping the systems in good shape?

PS: 1982 home, appraised 300k, C+/B- Working Class family Suburban Neighborhood. Most homes in neighborhood in good condition.