As the owner of an apartment complex, you know that maintaining your buildings is major component of ensuring tenant satisfaction. Nowhere is this more true than with the building roof.
Annual Inspections
Leaks don't just impact the integrity of your roof and lead to building damage; they are also a nuisance that can affect your ability to keep tenants and maintain the market value of your building. An annual inspection allows you to catch damage that can lead to leaks quickly, before major issues affect your tenants. Annual inspections should include surveying the shingles, flashing, and vents for any type of damage that necessitates a repair or replacement.
An attic inspection can also be useful, since leaks may not be obvious from the top of the roof. Your roofer will check for water damage inside the attic, such as water stained ceilings, wood rot, mold, and wet insulation. Keep in mind that the attic may only be accessible via top floor tenants' units, so you will need to notify the affected tenants about the inspection entry into the unit as detailed in local tenancy laws.
Periodic Repairs
A well maintained roof can last for decades, but part of that maintenance means budgeting for periodic repairs. The amount and type of repairs depends on several factors, including roof type, age, and local climate. Common apartment roofing repair needs include shingle replacement or roof patching, flashing and seal repair, and gutters and roof eave repair.
To develop an effective annual repair and maintenance budget, you will need to consult with a local roofer that is familiar with the type of roof on your building. They can help you determine what types of repairs you need and how often they are needed in your area so that you can create a realistic working budget that is affordable within the current market rental rates for your location.
General Maintenance
Some apartment building owners put off maintenance due to cost and tenant inconvenience. This will backfire in the long run, since a roof replacement costs much more than maintenance, and since the inconvenience of maintenance is overshadowed by the greater replacement nuisance that is imposed on tenants.
Maintenance is actually relatively minor. Beyond the annual inspection, plan to have the roof cleaned at least once a year and the gutters cleaned in the spring and fall. Certain roofs may require more in-depth maintenance. For example, many flat roots must be resealed or resurfaced every few years. Plan in advance for these maintenance tasks so you can make them as convenient for the tenants as possible. For example, many maintenance tasks can be completed within standard work hours of 9 am to 5 pm, when most tenants won't be in their unit and therefore won't be subjected to the noise of the work.
Contact a roofing service for more help.
Share12 February 2020
When you want to make your home shine, there are some very important basic components you should be mindful of. For starters, you should evaluate the exterior of your home to determine whether or not the siding or exterior cladding needs to be replaced. Next, you should check to see if the roofing needs to be replaced, since it really can make a powerful difference. Roofing can take up a great deal of the visual space from the outside, so think carefully about how yours looks. Pay attention to issues like aged, curling shingles or roofing that contains dips or divots. Check out this blog for great tips about roofing.
