Maintenance and Maintenance Schedules

Maintenance is a large part of the day-to-day operations in every community. The purpose of having a maintenance schedule is to establish consistent practices designed to improve the performance and safety of the association’s equipment and amenities while preserving property values.

There are three types of maintenance to consider when creating a schedule:

• Corrective Maintenance

• Deferred Maintenance

• Preventative Maintenance.

Corrective Maintenance includes tasks to identify, isolate and fix components. For example, corrective maintenance would include repairing a component that is broken or not working properly. This can be costly to the HOA and may have been avoided if a maintenance plan or a maintenance schedule was followed. When building your maintenance schedule, it is important to review past corrective maintenance to ensure you properly maintain those components in the future.

Deferred Maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance in order to save costs or meet budget constraints. Failing to perform regular or routine maintenance typically increases HOA costs. For example, a malfunctioning HVAC system will result in a greater workload placed on HVAC units. As time progresses, the workload on other systems becomes unbearable and other HVAC units may malfunction as well. Deferred maintenance can also negatively impact sales in a community, reducing home values for everyone. When building your maintenance schedule, take time to identify any deferred maintenance and give those components priority until they are properly maintained.

"Deferred maintenance can also negatively impact sales in a community, reducing home values for everyone. When building your maintenance schedule, take time to identify any deferred maintenance and give those components priority until they are properly maintained."

Preventative Maintenance is the practice of regularly inspecting, cleaning and performing maintenance aimed at maximizing the life of components to ensure they won’t fail prematurely. Many component warranties require some form of preventive maintenance so make sure to identify all your warranted components and schedule them appropriately. Preventative Maintenance will enhance the lifecycle of most of the associations’ assets.

Sample of Components to Include for Preventative Maintenance

• Roofs

• Gutters

• Garages

• Balconies

• Drain boots

• Windows

• Decks and walkways

• Pool gate locks and enclosures

• Wrought iron fencing

• Pathways

• Pool equipment

• Pool decking, plaster, tile

• Trees

• Irrigation systems

• Woodwork/trim/ fascia boards

• Areas prone to pest intrusion

• Areas where brush could cause fire hazards

• HVAC systems

• Dryer vents

• Playground equipment

• Tennis courts

Creating a maintenance plan or implementing a maintenance calendar will help organize the maintenance for each component. As components are added to a community or an upgrade is done, they can be added to the maintenance plan.

The maintenance plan would typically include a list of all commonly owned components needing maintenance and a schedule of when the maintenance should be performed. A checklist can be utilized to make sure that the maintenance has been performed and regular inspections can also be recorded with the dates on the checklist. The maintenance schedule acts as a master plan that will work year-round.

A maintenance log can be used in conjunction with a maintenance plan. The maintenance log will contain product warranties, unit-by-unit history, documentation of vendors that have provided past repair services, dates of required maintenance to maintain the warranty and monthly inspections. The log can also help with setting and tracking action items for components that require maintenance and follow-up to ensure the corrections or repairs are completed.

One of the best outcomes of having a maintenance schedule is that it helps you educate staff, owners and board members about the work you are doing to avoid costly unexpected

"A maintenance schedule is a “road map” for owners and board members. It defines what is needed and who is responsible for taking care of each component in a community."

repairs. Having a schedule will also allow you to easily manage workloads, adjust or update systems, and switch to energy efficient components like LED lighting and Energy-Star rated products. Keeping your maintenance schedule and logs updated is critical so make sure to plan for the time needed to keep accurate records.

Your maintenance schedule will also be useful for your reserve study. However, it is important to remember that your reserve study is not a maintenance plan; it is a financial tool to use for budgeting purposes. A maintenance schedule is a “road map” for owners and board members. It defines what is needed and who is responsible for taking care of each component in a community.

If you need help identifying proper maintenance for your association’s components, ask for help from CAI-CV’s business partners. They will gladly help you build a complete and accurate maintenance schedule. Having a detailed maintenance schedule will help associations meet their fiduciary duties and keep their communities thriving.

Lisa Glogow, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, is the Director of Community Management for Powerstone Property Management. She can be reached at (760) 469-4315 or by email at lglogow@powerstonepm.com.

Marne Logan, CCAM, is a community association manager for The Management Trust Desert Division. She can be reached at 760-340-1703, or by email to marne. logan@managementtrust.com.