Edition 01
National Maintenance Index Brought to you by
National Maintenance Index | 2
Welcome to the first edition of Tapi’s National Maintenance Index. We developed this Index to inform you about what is going on within the property management industry in regards to maintenance. This edition of the Tapi Maintenance Index is designed to give you a look into the most common maintenance issues up to 2019 and how much they might be costing you, in comparison to the rest of the market. Use this data as a reference to estimate how much common maintenance issues should be costing you and your owners. It’s a great way to help your owners get the most out of their investment.
3 | National Maintenance Index
How to read the data This book is divided into five main sections. Each section summaries these key points:
Average Spend On specific category of maintenance per property per year.
Average Jobs The number of jobs for a specific category of maintenance per property per year.
Monthly Spend Illustrating average monthly spend throughout a year, specific to a maintenance category.
Average spend on maintenance issues A break down of the average cost of a maintenance issue and the most common fixes within those issues.
National Maintenance Index | 4
Contents Plumbing Page 6 Plumbing
Page 7 Sink
Page 8 Toilet
Page 9 Shower
Page 12 Washing Machine
Page 13 Dishwasher
Page 15 Asbestos
Page 16 Alarms
Page 17 Insulation
Page 19 Ceiling
Page 20 Door
Page 21 Flooring
Page 23 Heater
Page 24 Lights
Page 25 Power
Appliances Page 10 Appliances
Page 11 Oven
Compliance Page 14 Compliances
Structural Page 18 Structural
Electrical Page 22 Electrical
Tapi Page 27 About Tapi
5 | National Maintenance Index
Plumbing Tapi analysed over 18,000 plumbing related jobs, including showers, toilets, hot water cylinders and everything in between. The number of plumbing related maintenance jobs spiked in the winter months. Jobs in May and June increased by around 8%. In the graph below, you can notice the variance of price of plumbing jobs throughout the year.
$185
Sink Tap
Average spend per property
Most common job
185
180
175
170
165
160 Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Plumbing | 6
$177
Sink
Average cost to fix
Tap $190 Waste Disposal $162
Drain $171
Tips & Tricks
Educate tenants what liquids shouldn’t ever be disposed of in a kitchen sink. e.g. disposing of hot fats and oils can cause blockages.
7 | Plumbing
Drain un-blockers are an easy way to avoid unnecessary call outs.
Advise tenants to avoid scraps that can damage the waste disposal e.g. banana skins, egg-shells, tea bags and onion skins.
$192
Toilet
Average cost to fix
Seat $167 Cistern $207
Bowl $207
Tips & Tricks
Advise tenants to avoid chemical drain cleaners for clogged toilets. They can damage older pipes and fixtures.
Make sure the components of your toilet are in good condition by inspecting toilets every six months.
The flooring around a toilet is susceptible to excess water damage and rot. Being proactive in checking this, can save money long term.
Plumbing | 8
$194
Shower
Average cost to fix
Door $144 Curtain $186
Tap $164 Drain $145
Tips & Tricks
Proactively replace silicone in showers when it starts to deteriorate.
9 | Plumbing
Check if tiles and grout are kept in good condition.
Ensure drains are kept clean and clear to avoid causing potentially larger problems.
Appliances After reviewing over 10,000 appliance-related maintenance jobs such as, fridges, dishwashers, ovens, etc; we identified that March had the highest amount of appliance-related jobs. March and May both had up to 10 - 20% more appliance-related jobs than the rest of the year. The graph below shows the average spend of appliance jobs by each month.
$169
Stove Top
Average spend per property
Most common job
185
178
171
164
157
150 Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Appliances | 10
$190
Oven
Average cost to fix
Range Hood $159
Stove Top $198
Oven Parts $169
Tips & Tricks
Check cleanliness of ovens during inspections. Ovens will deteriorate quicker if they aren’t consistently cleaned.
11 | Appliances
Range hood filters need to be cleaned frequently. Otherwise, it will wear out the kitchen exhaust fan quicker.
Be familiar with what appliances in the property, such as ovens, have warranties. When it comes time to repair or replace an oven, warranties can save your clients a lot of money.
Washing Machine
$141
Average cost to fix
Tips & Tricks
Washing machines should always sit on a level surface. When they aren’t level any strong vibrations can lead to damage to the washing machine and the surface it sits on.
Front-loaders usually tend to be more prone to leakage than top loaders. If the property does have a front loader, the door seal needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid the buildup of debris.
If the property is going to vacant for an extended period of time, turn off the water supply and unplug the washer to prevent accidental leakage or flooding.
Appliances | 12
$153
Dishwasher
Average cost to fix
Door $138 Draw $144
Tips & Tricks
It is worth organising to get the dishwasher serviced every couple of years, for a general check-up. If the dishwasher is under warranty, this service may even be free!
13 | Appliances
The latch in a dishwasher takes a lot of wear and tear. If the dishwasher isn’t closing properly, it can be due to the latch needing adjustment or even replacement.
Dishwasher racks are typically very expensive and often rival the cost of a new appliance, so ensuring they are kept in good shape can prevent unwanted costs.
Compliance Over 7000 compliance-related jobs were analysed. This included insulations, smoke alarms, meth testing and asbestos related jobs. December had the lowest amount of compliance jobs, which was 75% decrease from February which had the most amount of compliance jobs in the year. In the graph below, you can see the difference of spend through the months with March having the lowest amount of average spend.
$129
Smoke Alarms
Average spend per property
Most common job
180
164
148
132
116
100 Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Compliance | 14
$177
Asbestos
Average cost to fix
Tips & Tricks
Ensure you have an asbestos’ management plan - your company may already have policies in place or you can employ an expert to write one up for you.
15 | Compliance
Only certified suppliers should be used to remove Asbestos from properties.
If the asbestos is nonfriable, it’s often safer to leave it undisturbed. If you are unsure whether to carry out maintenance, it may be worth to ask an expert to inspect before going ahead with any work.
Smoke Alarms
Smoke Alarms $99
Tips & Tricks
There must be at least one working smoke alarm within 3 metres of each bedroom door or every room where a person sleeps.
Smoke alarms should be checked regularly to ensure they are working correctly (even if they are 10-year smoke alarms).
Don’t forget about selfcontained caravans, sleep outs, or similar structures. They must have at least one working smoke alarm.
Compliance | 16
$104
Insulation
Average cost to fix
Assessment $86 Install $446
Tips & Tricks
Ensure properties are compliant by meeting the minimum R-value required.
17 | Compliance
Conduct regular assessment to maintain insulation to a reasonable condition.
Different types of insulation are made from different materials, choose one that best suits the property’s qualities.
Structural We analysed 21,000 structural-related maintenance. Structural jobs included any house renovations, windows, doors, flooring and more. March had the highest amount of structural-related jobs which was over 30% higher than December, which had the lowest amount of jobs. The graph below shows the difference in average spend on structural jobs month by month.
$170
Door Lock
Average spend per property
Most common job
185
180
175
170
165
160 Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Structural | 18
$220
Ceiling
Average cost to fix
Ventilation $226 Fan $259
Tips & Tricks
During the cold winter months, advise your tenants on the best ventilation methods for their property to prevent mould and dampness.
19 | Structural
Dehumidifiers are a great option to avoid moisture build up and maintain a healthy home.
If available, advise tenants to utilise the extractor fans in bathrooms to prevent mould.
$144
Door
Average cost to fix
Frame $138 Lock $115
Handle $133
Tips & Tricks
To prolong the life of hinges, handles and locks; lubricate the doors and windows once a year.
Seal doors with soft adhesive strips to fill any gaps and to help preserve the look of the door.
Door stops are an easy way to look after doors in windy and high traffic areas.
Structural | 20
$199
Flooring
Average cost to fix
Carpet $184 Vinyl $448
Flooring Tile $239
Tips & Tricks
It pays to invest in a carpet with better durability, as you shouldn’t need to replace it as frequently.
21 | Structural
Polypropylene carpet is more tenant-friendly and will last longer in rentals as they are less likely to pill and hold stains.
Ensure tiling and grouting is maintained and in tack to prevent avoidable repairs.
Electrical After analysing over 8000 electrical maintenance jobs, including lights, cables, wiring, tvs and everything in between; we noticed that March showed a spike in the amount of electrical jobs. December had the lowest amount of jobs, with over 70% less jobs than March. In the graph below, you can see that April had the lowest average spend on electrical jobs in comparison to other months.
$160
Power Points
Average spend per property
Most common job
180
174
168
162
156
150 Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Electrical | 22
$174
Heater
Average cost to fix
Tips & Tricks
Heat pumps filters should be checked and cleaned regularly to prolong life span.
23 | Electrical
Gas heaters should be serviced ever 12-18 months.
When looking to upgrade the heating at a property, invest in more efficient heating systems, as they are safer, cost-effective and durable.
$158
Lights
Average cost to fix
Bulbs $150 Fitting $146
Switch $155
Tips & Tricks
LED Bulb will cost more to install but have a longer lifespan and reduce electricity costs.
If lights are blowing regularly, this is often due to a more complex wiring issue.
Be aware on what light fittings are suited best to particular lights, as this can impact the ability to choose energy saving options in the future.
Electrical | 24
$162
Power
Average cost to fix
Powerpoint $149 Wiring $172
Metering $143
Tips & Tricks
Older homes and fuse boxes tend to require more repairs due to aged wiring.
25 | Electrical
If any water damage occurs within the property, you should always investigate any potential electrical faults.
Educate tenants to avoid overloading power points, as this is a common fire hazard and can then cause damage to other appliances.
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