Ongoing annual maintenance

Hey all settling on a property in Geelong next month the property manager has sent me the option of annual smoke alarm servicing $85 annual air con servicing $135 and biannual heating servicing at $135.

Not been offered this previously on my other place. Is this something many of you do? Or best to just wait and see if you need it?

Thanks.

 

air con n heating "servicing" got to be kidding me. and smoke alarms seems ok

 

Yes that air conditioning maintenance is about right ...I have about 40 units commercial air con units
Not certain about the heating units

 

this is for a domestic property not a unit block and all you would have to do with a service would be wash the filter. even then most people don't bother doing this.

 

Check belts, gas leaks, lubrication...

 

i'm referring to a split system. but even with ducted i doubt it.. they might say they do but this isn't like servicing a car where you'd change the oil etc. this is just a sales pitch. a/c / hot water unts / gas heaters generally don't need to be regularly serviced only when theres an issue.

 

I'd go with another agent.
This is a sign of either incompetence or untrustworthiness - both of which are red flags and should be taken seriously.

 

Can I ask why the suggestion of routine maintenance is a red flag for an incompetent or untrustworthy agent?

We would send suggestions for routine maintenance such as gutter cleaning, air conditioning service (on advice from the manufacturer in new unit blocks), termite barrier inspections and smoke alarms. It's all part of the property's upkeep, the owner is under no obligation to engage any or all of those options and we would not make a dime from any of it - if anything it costs us money (on a time-cost basis) having to organise the suggested maintenance and provide access, but that is our job.

Most investors complain that their PM isn't doing enough to help them maintain their property yet when they make suggestions to do so, there seems to be an automatic assumption on these forums that there is a sinister motive or the PM is making money from it. I'm not sure people realise that your everyday trade company doesn't offer kickbacks or referral payments for engagement and the notion of it is more conspiratorial than of widespread concern.

I think the suggestion of these items by the PM is more of a flag that they're a proactive PM! Isn't that what we all want for our properties?

 

If you have gas ducted heating in Victoria, you need to have the system checked for carbon monoxide emissions every two years as per the regulations.

I believe this stems from that tragic case a few years ago where two young boys died in their sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning.

I always change the alarm batteries myself - but my place is walking distance. Consider the cost of your time.

Annual servicing for air con in Vic seems a lot?

 

My 2c

I convinced myself that annual smoke detector testing is good value after I confirmed that the service will replace for free, any defective smoke detectors that they installed for the full ten year lifetime. Obviously tampering is an exclusion.

With air con. The only really serviceable part is the filter both ducted and split wall mounted. Both of these do need cleaning / replacement. Splits probably annually in my experience (easy to do yourself under the tap). Ducted probably lasts several years but needs new filter material. So depending on the system and making sure it includes filter servicing per above - might make sense.

I would make split system filter clean a tenant responsibility if they are half competent.

 

Ongoing maintenance as a general rule is not a sign of incompetence or untrustworthiness.

Yearly air conditioning servicing and twice-yearly heating servicing sound ridiculous to me.

But you are right - I skimmed the original post. Being sent an option for it is not the same as recommending it or auto charging it. My mistake.

 

If you are in Victoria you need to have gas heating units checked every two years for carbon monoxide leaks.

 

The first tenant moved into an IP settled 8 months ago, and recently they are saying both air conditioning units are working but 'not strong enough'. One is a window air conditioner and the other one is a split wall mounted.

If the only serviceable part is the filter, is this the tenant's responsibility to clean the or do I need to hire a handyman to do the cleaning?

 

Plenty of things can go wrong with airconditioners - gas leak is typical (no gas, no cooling)

 

Ah. Nice to see some innocence

Property Manager Holiday Rewards - Smoke Alarm Solutions - Smoke Alarm Solutions

 

Hadn't actually seen that one (as you can see, it only started a couple of months before that post of mine) and that's the first time I've seen a smoke alarm company offer anything like that. Thanks for pointing it out.

As I said anyway (and the main point) your everyday trade company doesn't offer kickbacks or referral payments - electricians, plumbers, tilers, gardeners etc - most simply do not. Although I'm sure it does happen in some cases. If an investor worries more about whether or not a PM is receiving payments for organising maintenance then they've lost sight of the bigger picture.

If a property owner would rather that the PM just lets the property go to hell with no suggestion of routine maintenance whatsoever then the value will be affected very quickly. I'm still not sure why people complain about a proactive PM

 

Nah.

I do not like that crap either.

Tenant can clean filters on AC, PM can check on tenant clenliness.

Heating, well, tenant will advise if not working, they seem too never go without the luxuries, as well as using lots of electricity and water gas etc....

Even the smoke alarm one is a scam.

I do have PMs who do not try and shirk these things off to someone else....and they also seem to do a better job all round.

A PM trying to max things for thier business is not the same as one trying to max LLs income and curb outgoings.

 

It is widely recommended to service air-conditioners annually, though I haven't personally found much evidence to suggest this does make them last longer. Also worth noting there's a big difference between the service you get from an air-con technician and an air-con cleaner.

About all I usually suggest is that we get older splits and boxes (3yrs+) serviced/cleaned on acquisition of a property (good way to find out what condition they're in as well, help plan for future costs) or if there's evidence of an issue (e.g. mould build up, or if something economically repairable comes up).

Unfortunately splits these days are lucky to go past 10 years, and in most cases I've found what goes wrong doesn't seem to be something that regular servicing could have avoided or prolonged.
Ducted units are a different story, they're more complicated and expensive- so there's a greater incentive to service.
In addition, Gas heaters and evap coolers (common in Vic) DEFINITELY need to be serviced regularly, or they constitute a serious health hazard! (though bi-annual seems a bit much?)