As a South Florida landlord, you may find it hard to handle your day-to-day property management duties, particularly if you own more than one rental property. With more tenants come more responsibilities such as collecting rent, conducting maintenance, dealing with tenant-related disputes, and coordinating repairs. When these tasks start to pile up, you’ll struggle to stay on top of your to-dos. Plus, you may end up spending your time on low-priority matters. Soon, you’ll see that poor property management can adversely impact your property, tenants, and even your money.
In this guide, we’ve put together a couple of tips to help you care for your property more productively. These tips will allow you to get more out of your workday, and guarantee that your property is always well-managed.
Plan Your To-Dos Ahead of Time
Don’t wing it. You can’t welcome a new day not knowing what your tasks are, as this puts you at risk of wasting time. At the end of each week, it’s a good idea to outline what needs to be done the following week. Ask yourself if there are tasks you need to “carry over” to the next week – for example, if you failed to collect rent from all tenants this week, you can continue to do that next week. Not only will this give you a general idea of what to do, but it also motivates you to get things done.
As you create your to-do list, consider any routine repairs and inspections for each of your properties. With that said, it would be wise to create an outline of when certain items will need your attention, such as:
- Change air filters every 90 days
- Replace lightbulbs every 10 to 14 months
- Flush water heaters every 6 months
A South Florida property management company can help you keep track of your routine maintenance tasks.
Pro Tip: As a landlord, you need to constantly update your to-do list. For instance, when a tenant tells you that they need their HVAC checked, add that to your to-do list, placing it in the appropriate slot. If it’s more important than other items on your list, move it up in terms of priority.
Tackle Tasks One at a Time
Multitasking is a myth. Don’t be tempted to do multiple things at a time, as this can actually be counterproductive. It will take you a long time to attend to one matter because you’ll be constantly switching from task to task. Your work will likely be half-baked due to multitasking. You will also be more prone to committing errors in your work, such as scheduling the wrong repairs or worse, writing a flawed lease agreement.
Tell yourself to focus on one item at a time. Determine what items on your to-do list need immediate attention, and which ones can be dealt with later in the day. That way, you can complete each task properly.
Have Your Own Workspace
Just because you don’t have a 9-to-5 desk job, doesn’t mean you don’t need a desk. As a landlord, you need a dedicated space where you can conduct your rental-related duties, such as screening tenants, collecting rent, and so on. A workspace will allow you to get into “landlord mode” during the day and make sure that you don’t get distracted.
In addition, keeping your things in one place is the key to making sure you don’t misplace them. That way, if you need to find a particular document, you won’t waste your time wondering where you left it.
Maintain a Clean Workspace
Many people don’t mind the clutter, but the problem with this is that it can distract you from your current task. Let’s say you were screening tenants when you saw a sticky note from the corner of your eye, containing the words “call contractor”. Chances are, you’d stop what you were doing to do what the sticky note told you to do.
The problem with this is that, as we earlier mentioned, multitasking is never good for your productivity. Clutter can draw your attention and cause you to lose focus on your current task. It’s best to set aside the time to clean your workspace and get rid of anything that might tempt you to abandon what you’ve already started.
Conduct Regular Meetings
Are you and the rest of your property management team on the same page? Even if you practice all of the productivity tips in your article, if your goals aren’t aligned with everyone else’s, you still won’t see success. With that said, you should always set aside the time to meet with your team. Use that time to be clear about who’s doing what so that you don’t end up undertaking someone else’s tasks.
For instance, if someone is already taking care of tenant screening, you can skip that task and move on to other matters like property improvements. Or, if you were planning on visiting your property to oversee repairs, ask if someone is already on top of that so you don’t end up wasting time (and money) to go there.
Regular meetings are also a great time to delegate tasks if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed with work. Remember that burnout is your enemy, so don’t be embarrassed to ask for assistance from your team members.
Finally, Hire Home Management Services
One of the best ways to boost productivity and secure your rental property’s success is by working with a reliable property management agent. Property managers are pros when it comes to productivity, as they’re familiar with any real estate investment’s daily demands. Since they can anticipate a property’s needs, they can create a to-do list that considers everything you’d ever need to do to keep your property well-maintained, and your tenants satisfied.
Plus, compared to self-managing your property, they dedicate all of their time to property management. This means they won’t be distracted by matters that are unrelated to your rental. They’re completely committed to home management services.
Looking For Home Management Services in South Florida?
For professional home management services, trust the experts at Luxury Property Care. We provide full-service property management to South Florida homeowners and landlords, covering everything from tenant screening to evictions. We’ll handle your to-dos for you and ensure your property is maintained properly and efficiently.
For more information, call (561) 944 – 2992. You can also complete our contact form to request a free quote for our services.
