A large residential community demands a strong maintenance management program. Maintenance response times, recurring problems and poor communication may prompt an HOA to shop around for a new management company. Before taking that step, know what to expect from maintenance service.
Maintenance is one of the biggest sources of dissatisfaction with a property management company. Complaints tend to fall into these categories:
- Slow response times
- Unresolved or recurring problems
- Poor communication
Because maintenance events—in common areas or in their unit—are one of the few times individual unit owners interact with the property management company, residents often judge the management firm by how quickly and effectively it resolves those problems. While not all in-unit maintenance items are the Association’s responsibility to manage, the property manager should ensure owners and occupants understand where responsibility lies and welcome resident feedback on work performed under the property management company’s direction.
While some matters require a third-party vendor, your property management company is ultimately responsible for building maintenance, so failure to deliver in any of these areas may prompt the HOA to consider changing management companies. Use this information to help assess maintenance performance and to prepare to discuss expectations with your current (or a prospective new) property manager.
Slow response times
Maintenance requests are on the rise. An analysis of nearly 200,000 residential maintenance requests from one property management platform showed annual per-unit requests rose from 2.93 in 2020 to 3.3 in 2024.[i] Large properties often have an online portal where owners submit work orders and track progress. Acknowledging a maintenance request within 24 hours is a reasonable expectation. (Emergency maintenance should have different standards.) Resolution time will vary by request, the need for third-party expertise, whether parts must be ordered, etc.
Smaller properties without a portal rely on their building manager as a liaison for maintenance requests. Regardless of building size or maintenance vendor agreements, the building manager is key to managing maintenance concerns and ensuring owner satisfaction.
Identifying systemic problems
Asking your property management company to “act faster” probably won’t improve maintenance response times. The company likely isn’t intentionally delaying work orders. Instead, consistent long response times suggest a service-management system problem. The management company should be able to easily track work orders from the initial request through work assignment, parts ordering, work performed and job completion. Analyzing work orders will identify delay patterns and point to a solution.
A strong service-management system combines clear standards, preventive maintenance, communication, contractor oversight and accountability.
Managing third-party vendors
Most HOAs establish a relationship with one provider for general maintenance and maintain a list of recommended vendors for specialized work (e.g., HVAC). For maintenance that requires third-party contractors, the building manager should monitor work and communicate with the owner.
The best property management companies empower building managers to hire and manage maintenance contractors to meet the standards the management company sets. Manager oversight should extend to in-house maintenance resources, which are often the go-to option for building managers because they typically save the HOA money.
Good communication improves satisfaction
Communicating with owners is essential to a successful maintenance event, especially if a delay occurs due to a parts backorder or other unforeseen issues. Expect your building manager to stay in regular contact with the vendor, whether in-house or a third party. Communications should go beyond simply advising of delays. Owners should know when to expect the work to be complete. Even with delays, proactively communicating the reason and a revised timetable will dramatically improve residents’ experience.
Agree on performance standards
HOAs with repeated maintenance problems should talk to their building manager about expectations for key performance indicators (KPIs), such as average response and resolution times and the number of overdue requests. Common area KPIs should include the number of recurring problems, preventative maintenance completion rate and resident satisfaction. Be open-minded about maintenance challenges and aim for a management relationship where the company strives to anticipate problems, respond promptly, communicate throughout the process, verify repairs and have systems in place to track results and prevent recurring problems.
This article is the third in a five-part series on best practices for HOAs considering changing property management companies because of a specific concern. Read part I on financial red flags and part II on vendor management. Watch for upcoming posts on owner property portals and communications.
Considering changing property managers?
At GNP Realty, our experienced team is well-prepared to manage the big transition tasks (accounting, vendors, staffing and owner communications), and we also know the importance of managing the small details!
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[i][i] Rental Property Maintenance Requests: What 193,000+ Tenant Requests Reveal About What Breaks Most Often
