How can you prioritize maintenance tasks for your properties?

As a property manager, you know that maintenance is a crucial part of your job. But how do you decide which tasks to tackle first, especially when you have multiple properties and limited resources? In this article, we'll show you how to prioritize maintenance tasks for your properties using a simple and effective method.

1 The urgency-impact matrix

One way to prioritize maintenance tasks is to use the urgency-impact matrix. This is a tool that helps you evaluate how urgent and how impactful each task is for your properties. Urgency refers to how soon the task needs to be done, while impact refers to how much the task affects the value, safety, and comfort of your properties. By plotting each task on a four-quadrant matrix, you can see which ones are high-priority, medium-priority, low-priority, or no-priority.

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Tina Larsson

I help NYC co-op & condo owners increase their property value💲| Coop & Condo Board Consultant | Make buildings safer, more sustainable & more affordable | Podcast Guest | Published SPEAKer | Strategy Session BELOW 👇🏻
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Love the urgency-impact matrix! It is indeed a valuable tool for prioritizing maintenance tasks in property management. However, it's crucial to remember that the matrix is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Each property has unique characteristics and needs, and these should be taken into account when assessing urgency and impact. For instance, in NYC coops and condos, factors like building age, architectural design, and local regulations can significantly influence maintenance priorities. Additionally, sustainability should be a key consideration in decision-making, as it can enhance property value and resident satisfaction in the long run.

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Steven Carter-Medina, CPM®, REALTOR®

Community Manager | PMAWM Secretary, Board of Directors | BAS
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Prioritize property maintenance by addressing critical repairs promptly (e.g., safety issues), conducting preventive maintenance (HVAC, roofs), ensuring legal compliance with local regulations, and responding promptly to tenant requests. Additionally, focus on energy efficiency measures for long-term savings, and periodically enhance aesthetics to boost property value and tenant satisfaction. Strategically plan seasonal maintenance tasks to address specific needs, such as heating system checks in winter and landscaping in summer. This systematic approach ensures a well-maintained property, tenant contentment, and compliance with regulations.

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Waseem Abidi

Founder & CEO at Home Station Real Estate
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Categorize issues into urgent, high-priority, medium, and low (think safety first, critical systems next), considering urgency, impact, and cost.

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Shawn Foran

Maintenance Director - ShawnForan.com
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In my view, the urgency-impact matrix often represents an overly complex approach, particularly from the standpoint of a maintenance director who deals with real-world scenarios every day. In the field, our decision-making process is straightforward and guided by three critical questions: Is there an immediate danger to people ('Fire, Flood, Blood')? Is property at risk? Could the issue potentially damage the structure? While I acknowledge that situations can have nuances, these core questions effectively streamline our task prioritization, demonstrating that sometimes, simplicity is more effective than complexity.

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2 How to use the matrix

To use the urgency-impact matrix, you need to assign each maintenance task a score for urgency and impact. You can use a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is low and 5 is high. For example, a leaking roof might have a high urgency score of 5 and a high impact score of 5, while a squeaky door might have a low urgency score of 1 and a low impact score of 1. Once you have the scores, you can plot them on the matrix and see which quadrant they fall into.

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Ayoub Lyaf

Real Estate Asset Manager | OPCI
(edited)
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Si le propriétaire, le gestionnaire ou encore le facility manager, utilise une matrice d'urgence, celle-ci doit être priorisée par degrés d'urgence allant des tâches correctives pour finir sur les tâches courantes.

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3 The four quadrants

The four quadrants of the urgency-impact matrix are tasks that need to be done quickly or can be done later, depending on their effect on your properties. Quadrant 1 consists of high urgency, high impact tasks such as repairing a broken water heater or replacing a faulty lock that should be done by qualified professionals as soon as possible. Quadrant 2 includes high urgency, low impact tasks like changing a light bulb or unclogging a drain that can be done by yourself or a handyman. Quadrant 3 consists of low urgency, high impact tasks like upgrading the appliances or installing a security system that are valuable but not urgent and can be planned and budgeted for in advance. Lastly, quadrant 4 is made up of low urgency, low impact tasks such as replacing a doorknob or decorating a room that are optional and can be done by yourself or a tenant.

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4 How to apply the matrix

Once you have your matrix, you can use it to guide your decision-making and action-taking. To get the most out of it, start with quadrant 1 tasks first since they are the most urgent and impactful. Additionally, be mindful of balancing your time and resources so that you don't spend all of your time and money on quadrant 1 tasks. Furthermore, review and update your matrix regularly to ensure that your maintenance tasks are up to date with the condition of your properties, tenant feedback, and market trends. This will help you adjust your priorities accordingly.

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5 The benefits of the matrix

The urgency-impact matrix can be a great tool for smart and efficient property maintenance task prioritization. It helps you focus on the most important tasks while avoiding wasting time and money on the least important ones. Additionally, it helps you balance your short-term and long-term goals, as well as optimize the value, safety, and comfort of your properties. Furthermore, it can help you communicate your priorities to your team, contractors, and tenants, which can lead to improved customer satisfaction and retention.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Syed Haris 🍉

AI Strategy Consultant | Loyalty and Marketing Applications | Microsoft
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Amazing points and inputs by contributors. All the important matrix can by inculcated in a CAFM. Computer aided facilities management and build standards for Preventive and reactive maintenance and collect customer and vendor feedback to build an effective loop of improvement and satisfaction.

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How can you prioritize maintenance tasks for your properties?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 The urgency-impact matrix

2 How to use the matrix

3 The four quadrants

4 How to apply the matrix

5 The benefits of the matrix

6 Here’s what else to consider

Property Management

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How can you prioritize maintenance tasks for your properties?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 The urgency-impact matrix

2 How to use the matrix

3 The four quadrants

4 How to apply the matrix

5 The benefits of the matrix

6 Here’s what else to consider

Property Management

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