As you maintain your Roseville rental property, you will encounter many different types of repairs that require specific responses. In some cases, the problem will be easy to solve – a garbage disposal is jammed or a window needs a new screen. Maybe you’ll want to paint between tenants or tear up old carpet during the turnover process.
For those things, your best handyman will be a great asset. That person doesn’t necessarily need to be licensed in any particular field; they can simply take care of the small jobs that need to be done around your property.
Larger repairs, however, will require licensed and insured professionals. Don’t have a handyman come out to take care of a major plumbing issue. You don’t want your painter to come over and replace a roof.
Here’s why licensure and insurance is so important when you’re working with professional vendors and contractors.
Quality of Work: Look for Licensed Professionals
We work with brilliant handymen who can quickly and efficiently take care of many maintenance problems at the properties we manage. They’re affordable and easy to work with.
When it comes to specialized maintenance services, however, you need those problems fixed professionally.
A professional plumber, electrician, roofer, or HVAC professional will have the experience and the expertise required to complete the repair correctly and keep your investment property well-maintained. If something goes wrong or the issue isn’t completely resolved, they’ll come back to follow up.
Licensed vendors and contractors are committed to keeping their customers happy. They know that word of mouth and reputation is critical to their business success. They’re going to stand by their work and avoid cutting corners.
Legalities and Liability: Work with Insured Vendors
There’s a lot of risk in hiring people who aren’t properly licensed and insured to do complex work at your property. Here’s a hypothetical: suppose you need some work done on the roof of your Roseville rental property. Instead of hiring a licensed and insured professional, you hire someone you met at the hardware store who seems nice. He has a truck and a ladder and can talk about the roof work he’s done before. He’s also quoted you half what you’d have to pay a professional roofing company.
Great, you send him over to the investment property and ask him to get to work.
Then, that unlicensed and uninsured worker falls off a ladder and injures himself. Maybe he can’t work for a year. Guess who will be held responsible? You. You may find yourself sued for medical bills and lost wages. That money you thought you were saving has now been spent on lawsuits and damages.
Do not take this risk. Don’t hire anyone who doesn’t have adequate liability and worker’s compensation insurance. Ask for proof before you hire a company or a vendor.
Licensed Vendors Lead to Better Tenant Retention
You also owe it to your residents to send high quality, professional workers over to the property. Tenants don’t want to open the door to a random name and phone number you found in a Craigslist ad. When they let people into their home, they want to be sure they are licensed, professional, and insured vendors who take their work seriously.
Using the right vendors also shows your tenants that you care about the property and their needs. This will help with tenant satisfaction and improve your tenant retention rates.
If you’re not sure where to turn when you need a good vendor, get in touch with a Roseville property management company. We can help. Contact us at Action Properties. We lease, manage, and maintain rental properties in Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis, Lincoln, Granite Bay, and the surrounding areas.