Letts Property Management, as a leading property management company in Chicago, knows that maintenance emergencies come with the territory. Chicago has very different seasons throughout the year and each season poses its share of problems. Knowing the major issues that arise in each season helps prepare maintenance techs to watch out for certain items while inspecting the properties and prevent minor issues from becoming major emergencies. Here are the key maintenance emergencies during each season that property managers in Chicago should look out for.
Winter: Winter is notoriously brutal in Chicago. Winter tends to be the most dangerous season for maintenance issues. Heating issues must be taken very seriously and if a furnace goes out then something has to be done right away. Not handling a tenants heating problem could lead to issues with tenant safety, legal action, and can cause massive damage to the property. Pipe freezes (which can become problems if the heating system is not working property) can cause the pipes to burst or start leaking when the weather warms back up and lead to serious damage to the property. Further issues that commonly arise in the winter are roof problems due to heavy amounts of snow. These issues are typically the result of not taking close enough care of the roof during the year.
Spring/Fall: Depending on the length and severity of the winter weather, spring and fall leaks can be very common in all size investment properties. The reason this is more common in spring is that during the winter the pipes can freeze and one will not notice leaks until the spring when the weather warms up and the pipes unfreeze. The fall season can also pack quite a punch with cold weather possible resulting in similar maintenance conditions to Chicago winters. The spring time is also tornado season for Illinois and damage from heavy winds are possible.
Summer: Leaks are also a common issue in the summer. Fires are another potential issue that comes up every so often. Depending on the weather, tornado’s, heavy winds, and heavy storms can be a part of the Chicago summer season and could lead to damage to the roof of an investment property.
By looking at the seasons, one can notice that many of the issues are common place in all seasons. Routine maintenance on an investment property is vital because most emergencies become emergencies from a lack of upkeep on the property. If your current property manager or if you are currently managing a property yourself, consider hiring an experienced property management company with a full maintenance staff to make the most of your investment property and help prevent minor maintenance issues from becoming major emergencies.
