Property maintenance is essential for keeping building occupants safe and happy. It’s also an effective way to retain property value and comply with local codes and ordinances.

However, property maintenance has some built-in challenges. Keeping HVAC units up and running, repairing leaky pipes, and caring for buildings and their grounds can be a juggling act. That’s where a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) comes into play.

A good CMMS can help property maintenance teams avoid asset failure and maximize limited resources. In this article, we’ll dig into exactly how property maintenance works. We’ll also look at some examples of property management and explore how a CMMS can help.

What Is Property Maintenance?

Property maintenance includes all the tasks and procedures necessary to ensure that buildings are safe, comfortable, and in good working order. It’s a broad category that encompasses everything from pest control and garbage disposal to HVAC maintenance. Property maintenance refers to both residential and commercial maintenance.

Successful property maintenance includes routine tasks like cleaning, janitorial work, and walkthrough safety inspections. Equipment repairs and basic upkeep of assets like HVAC units and boilers all fall under the property maintenance remit. Depending on the building, property maintenance may also include groundskeeping, landscaping, and other related tasks.

One of the major challenges in property maintenance is balancing routine upkeep — mowing lawns, cleaning hallways, etc. — with emergency maintenance tasks like fixing leaky pipes. An effective property maintenance strategy requires careful planning, asset management, and resource allocation, which are all areas where a CMMS can help.

Main Types of Property Maintenance

There are a few key categories of property maintenance. Most maintenance of property tasks can be defined as:

  • Preventive maintenance
  • Corrective maintenance
  • Emergency maintenance

Preventive maintenance tasks are all the routine tasks that keep your property in optimal condition. Cleaning, safety inspections, and waste disposal all fall into this category. Regularly servicing HVAC units and boilers are other examples of preventive maintenance.

Building a strong preventive maintenance program will lower your overall costs and will cut down on the need for emergency repairs. Preventive maintenance also makes spare parts and inventory management easier by allowing you to predict when you’ll need parts and supplies.

Corrective maintenance refers to non-emergency repairs. This includes anything on the property that isn’t life-threatening or urgent but still requires maintenance. A slow-draining sink, a broken ceiling fan, or a few loose tiles are all examples of corrective maintenance.

Staying on top of corrective maintenance tasks can increase your property values and boost the satisfaction of building occupants, leading to better long-term relationships.

Emergency maintenance, as the name suggests, refers to repairs that need immediate attention. Gas leaks, power outages, and electrical issues all call for emergency maintenance. A broken HVAC unit in the middle of a summer heatwave can also be classed as a maintenance emergency.

Examples of Property Maintenance

Every property is different, but some of the most common examples of property maintenance include the following.

Preventive and routine maintenance:

  • Cleaning and waste disposal
  • Safety inspections, including routine checks of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Preventive maintenance on boilers, elevators, and other assets

Corrective maintenance:

  • Fixing minor leaks
  • Unclogging drains
  • Minor electrical repairs

Emergency repairs:

  • Repairing HVAC units, boilers, elevators, or other critical assets
  • Replacing broken windows
  • Repairing major electrical issues

Buildings and Industries that Manage Properties

Property maintenance is essential for a wide range of buildings and facilities, including:

  • Apartment buildings and complexes
  • Community living facilities like retirement homes
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Educational facilities
  • Commercial real estate

The larger the property, the more maintenance it is likely to require. This can create challenges for property managers: How can you ensure that buildings and grounds are well-maintained while still providing quick and reliable repairs for the building’s occupants? Most managers today operate on a lean budget with limited resources, making these challenges even tougher.

Digital tools can help. A good CMMS, like eMaint, streamlines workflows and standardizes processes so that maintenance tasks are completed correctly every time. CMMS software also helps with asset management, preventive maintenance strategies, and inventory management.

CMMS for Property Maintenance

A good CMMS plays a role in just about every aspect of property maintenance.

eMaint CMMS can extend the lifespan of your boilers, HVAC units, and other critical assets by tracking and analyzing real-time asset performance data. eMaint can even generate work orders when assets show signs of trouble. The result? You stay a few steps ahead of asset failure, helping you minimize the cost of repairs and ensure that your equipment stays in optimal condition for longer.

eMaint can also help set maintenance priorities, create schedules, and track preventive maintenance completion rates. The software can create checklists for maintenance crews to follow, helping ensure tasks are consistently performed.

eMaint acts as a central repository for all your maintenance data. You’ll always have instant access to everything — from inventory to inspection records. That means it’s easy to stay on track and provide the best possible property maintenance, ensuring your building’s occupants stay happy and safe.