Is Your Building Exterior & Interior Being Maintained Properly? Read These Questions Before Answering.

I recently came across an article titled “Building Maintenance 101” that definitely motivated me to spend a solid few hours inspecting every crevice of the building.  Similar to my prior post regarding preventative maintenance, this article wants managers to concentrate on the “little maintenance tasks that can be taken care of now to prevent them from turning into big and costly issues.”

Now let’s get back to the question listed in the title.  What is your answer?  If you said “No” then I appreciate your honesty and I also believe you.  However, if you answered “Yes” then keep reading.

FYI – the following questions come directly from the article mentioned in this post.  I thought the article was over after reading the final question on the first page, but that was definitely NOT the case.  The article turned out to be 3 pages long, in which the 2nd and 3rd page were ALL QUESTIONS.  Let’s begin:

EXTERIOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

• Do you have any of these issues that need to be addressed?
  • Peeling, bubbling, or chipping paint on walls, doors, etc.?
  • Graffiti?
  • Cracks in the walls?
  • Mold, fungus, or mildew on the building?
  • Stains (indicating leaks)?
  • Rust or deterioration on metal?
  • Wood Rot?
  • Broken or burned out light fixtures?
  • Exposed wiring?
  • Security cameras/gates not working?
  • Cracked or broken sidewalks or curbs?
  • Potholes in the parking lot?
  • Dirty parking lot?
  • I thought I was done reading questions at this point…..NOPE:
  • Missing handicap signs or other safety signs or pavement markings (parking spot #, lanes, etc.) missing?
  • Leaking air conditioning unit(s)?
  • Presence of pests, wasps, ants, etc.?
  • Weeds growing or dead landscaped areas?  Overgrown grass?
  • Broken manual locks? Broken automatic locks? Broken electronic locks (access controlled)?
  • Broken glass or broken windows?
  • Exterior water faucets leaking? Weather-stripping damaged or missing?
  • Cigarette Ash/Waste cans unsecured or need to be emptied?
  • Missing hardware, latches, or panels on fences?
  • Unknown Bulk items left in dumpster area?

INTERIOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

• Do any of these conditions exist?
  • Dirty floors or carpets?
  • Cracked or missing floor tiles?
  • Baseboards dirty or banged up?
  • Tripping hazards?
  • Peeling, bubbling, or chipping paint on walls, doors, etc.?
  • Holes, cracks, or other damage to the walls?
  • Damaged or missing ceiling tiles?
  • Sprinklers dirty?
  • Sprinklers not working or not tested/inspected?
  • Mold, fungus, or mildew in the building?
  • Plumbing issues – leaks, running toilets, dripping faucets, signs of stains or rot?
  • Air conditioning issues – not cooling, dirty duct vents, dirty filters, not working properly?
  • Wood Rot?
  • Broken or burned out light fixtures?
  • Receptacles/Switch covers missing or broken?
  • Overloaded outlets?
  • Broken outlets?
  • Circuit breakers tripping frequently?
  • Breaker box labels not in place? Cover not closed?
  • Fire extinguishers missing? Charged? Tagged? Unobstructed?
  • Fire exits marked and not blocked?
  • Exit signs properly in place and bright?
  • Common area kitchen dirty – stove, exhaust fan, refrigerator, etc.?
  • Chemicals not labeled properly?
  • Walkways not clear? Slip or trip hazards?
  • Dirty community bathrooms?
  • Trash cans overflowing?

Okay, that wasn’t so bad, right?  I’m only teasing as you’re likely tired just from reading all the items listed.  For those of you that answered “Yes” to my original question (Title of Post) are you still 100% or does someone on your team need to have a look first?

Listen, I’m not here to judge and I believe this is good information that should be shared with other building managers.  As the author states in the article “What are your tenants seeing?”  Personally, when I meet residents for the first time, I make it very clear that I want to be notified if they happen to see something wrong with ANYTHING.  Most of the time, they’ll respond with this “but I don’t want to be a nuisance and I’m sure you are busy with more important things.”  I again make it clear that saying something is only HELPING me and the more eyes looking over the building, the better.  It’s amazing to think about the psychology behind this type of behavior from people in general.  For example, the state of New York needed to create the slogan “See Something, Say Something” aka “see a crime, report the crime ASAP” all to make New York a safer and better place to live.  This is exactly what we are trying to do at each and every 0ne of our buildings.

In the end, we want residents to LOVE and be PROUD of the place they call home.