Property manager problems: Contractors that adjust the temperature in vacant units during Turn period.

Many property managers are breathing a sigh of relief that the chaotic Turn is now behind them. During this high-vacancy period, contractors are scheduled to work temporarily within vacant units to get things ready for the next set of tenants – this can include repairs, renovations, general paint touch-ups, etc. Naturally, it’s easier for this kind of work to be completed when units are vacant, but the fact that the unit is unoccupied can present a challenge for property managers. How so?

We often discuss how tenants that don’t pay for utilities are not overly concerned with keeping energy consumption to a minimum – after all, the money isn’t coming out of their pocket. So imagine when contractors come along; they’re only on the property for a very brief period of time so they definitely aren’t concerned about helping lower any bills. In fact, the first thing many contractors do upon entering a unit is turn the thermostat as low as possible in an effort to cool the place off quickly and create a comfortable work environment. It’s also important to consider that because contractors are moving around a lot, they like their work environment to be significantly cooler than normal in order to avoid overheating during their laborious tasks.

Depending on the level of work that needs to be done, contractors tend to spend an average of a few days at a time working in a single residence. Upon leaving the residence at the end of each day, packing up tools and equipment usually takes priority – so it’s safe to say that ensuring the thermostat has been reverted back to its original setting isn’t at the forefront of a contractors mind, and therefore gets forgotten about. This means that in many cases the HVAC unit will continue to run throughout the night, trying to cool and keep the empty residence at 60 degrees (for instance).

What’s worse, if property staff don’t have a chance to go in and do a walk-through of the residence after the contractor has completed the job, the excessive HVAC runtime can often continue, unnoticed, for days or weeks longer. HVAC units that run excessively can present an array of expensive problems for maintenance teams – frozen pipes being one of the worst.

With the mountains of work property managers already have to worry about during turn period, running around after contractors and checking thermostat settings have been reverted isn’t efficient use of their time. To remedy this common problem, properties should consider installing a Facilities IoT Management Solution. This would provide an effortless way to monitor the temperature (and humidity levels) within each individual residence – and even provide staff with the feature to be able to remotely revert the settings of multiple thermostats simultaneously, removing the need to ever set foot in the residence.

The TrustHab Solution empowers property managers to take control of the temperature within vacant units, which is especially helpful during periods like the Turn. Reduce unnecessary maintenance costs, increase NOI.

Contact us today to learn more.

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