Tips for Finding a Handyman for Your Rental Property

A handyman provides a lifeline for the seamless operation of your rental property when fixing those everyday maintenance issues. With a handyman, you only need a single individual to handle a range of issues in the different systems and structures of the building.

Using a handyman for repairs and maintenance saves you time and can help you cut the maintenance costs for your rental,advises Pensacola Property Management. This is because a trained handyman will do the work to the same quality as a specialist, but they will often charge less than the specialist will charge for the same job.

What is the difference between a handyman and a specialist?

A specialist contractor focuses solely on a specific system or structure of a building. For instance, a specialist may be a plumber or an electrician. They have spent years of formal training learning everything there is to know about that one aspect of buildings.

A handyman, on the other hand, is more of a generalist. They have know-how covering a range of the systems and structures in a building, but this knowledge is at a different level than that of a specialist. Just like specialists, they too have to spend many years learning their craft.

Generally, you hire a handyman for jobs that do not require in-depth knowledge. If, for instance, the main sewer line in yourproperty is clogged, you call an expert plumber to fix it. But if you want to replace the faucets in your rental, you only need a good handyman.

How do you find a handyman who is competent and reliable? The wrong handyman will not only damage your property and cost you a lot of money, but they can also mess up your relationship with the tenants in the property. This is why you should be careful when hiring a handyman.

Tips for finding a handyman for your rental property

The handyman you hire can cause you much pain, or they canimprove your gains as a landlord. Here are nine questions to ask when hiring a handyman for your rental property:

1. How long have they been in the business?

Never hire a handyman who lacks experience. The handyman should not only be experienced at the job, but they should also have been in that locality for a long time. This is because municipal laws often determine how to fix an issue.

2. Are they licensed?

Most local authorities require handymen to be licensedbefore they can operate in the area. This process of licensing partly ensures that the handyman is qualified. The business license must be current.

3. Are they accessible?

You want to be able to contact your handyman at short notice and have them show up soon after. This is only possible if the handyman is close to your rental property. Accessibility should also be about how they respond to communications.

4. Do they have a good reputation?

Have they worked at a rental property that is similar toyours? Will they let you talk to some of their past and current clients? What do those customers say about the handyman’s service? What is their BBB rating?

5. Is this a team or an individual?

The size of the company and the number of qualified workers on the payroll will impact its ability to meet clients’ demands. How do they vet their employees? How long have those employees been with the company?

6. Do they offer guarantees for their work?

What happens if a problem exists with a job they did for you or one of the parts they supplied? Will they fix the issue at no additional cost to you? Or are you expected to pay to fix the problem all over again?

7. Do they have insurance?

Do they have insurance? If they do, what kind of insurance is it, and is their insurance adequate for the issues they will handle for you? The handyman should have worker compensation, property insurance, and liability insurance.

8. Can they provide a sample of their quote?

Since they have been doing this for a long time, the

handyman should be able to provide a sample of their estimates for different types of jobs, along with their labor costs. This sample should be comprehensive, transparent,and properly structured.

9. Are they able to comply with your business policies?

A handyman can interact with tenants in ways that will harm your business. This is why you only want to deal with a handyman who has worked at a rental property with clientele and operations that are similar to your own.

Lastly, when you find a good handyman, do your best to lock thecompany in with a service agreement. A service agreement ensures you will get preferential treatment from the handyman. You may also save money as the handyman will charge you lessfor jobs.