Resource Center - Industry Articles
Ways To Control Operating Expenses, Part 2
by Doug Chasick, The CallSource Apartment DoctorTM, May 15 2009
11. Make sure the lights are going on and off at the proper times, which obviously change through out the year. Also, adjust timers after the power has been out.
12. The Service Technicians should note on the service request any problems that might have been caused by the resident (broken window, hole in door or wall, stopped up toilet, etc). It should be the manager's job to speak with the resident to determine if they should be charged for the repair or, in the case of a move-out, have money deducted from their security deposit. Be careful not to be too "hard nosed" in this area; you probably don't want to penalize someone and risk losing an otherwise good resident over something they may have broken inadvertently.
13. If your company manages several properties in one area, purchasing could be combined to get a greater quantity discount. It is sometimes cheaper and easier to pick the stuff up instead of having it delivered, or to have it delivered to a central location and then have each property pick up their orders. Here are some great maintenance purchasing and monitoring websites that you should know about: www.sitestuff.com, www.ebuyexpress.com, http://www.corrigo.com/
14. Evaluate outside contractors regularly:
- Is the service still needed?
- Is the service needed on the same frequency and scope now as when it was originally contracted?
- Could it be done cheaper AND better in-house?
- Could it be done cheaper AND better by another contractor?
15. According to a recent study, the average faucet leak can waste up to 5,000 gallons of water per month totaling an estimated $45.00 per year PER UNIT. If you have 50 units with leaky faucets, that's $2,250.00! A running toilet can waste between $20.00 and $40.00 a year; 50 toilets = $2,000.00! Excuse the pun, but that's $4,250.00 a year "down the drain".
16. Is your staff properly trained? Sometimes overtime is a symptom of them being in "over their head". Is the overtime needed because of too many service requests or too many callbacks?
17. Do you have a preventive maintenance program in place: I hate to say it, but "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - read on! Would you rather pay $100.00 for a minor roof repair today, or replace a section of the roof (as well as the ceiling and carpet in the unit directly underneath it) in 6 months?
18. Are you getting maximum productivity?
19. Are people replacing items that could be repaired?
20. Is there a breakdown in your preventive maintenance problem, which is causing more service requests (not changing HVAC filters, causing early failure of HVAC units)?
Can you save MORE money in these areas? We tend to only look at the problem areas, letting the others go - look at everything! Email Doug: dchasick@callsource.com
