Property Management Maintenance Checklist Template

Every maintenance request must be logged, dated, and attributed. The landlord who cannot evidence when a repair was reported and when it was completed loses every disrepair dispute where timing is contested.

• Log every maintenance request — immediately upon receipt; date, time, nature of issue, location in property, tenant who reported it
• Acknowledge to the tenant within 24 hours — confirmation that the request has been received and will be assessed; prevents the tenant feeling ignored and escalating
• Categorise the urgency — emergency, urgent, or non-urgent; based on the nature of the issue and the impact on habitability
• For emergencies: contact contractor immediately — within hours; not the next working day
• Retain all communication — all repair requests and responses in writing; all contractor communications documented

• Instruct emergency contractor immediately — out-of-hours service where required; the cost of out-of-hours is lower than a disrepair claim
• Confirm attendance time with tenant — when the contractor will arrive; provide a temporary solution where possible (electric heaters if boiler fails in winter)
• Document the emergency and the response — when reported, when contractor instructed, when attended, what work was done
• Confirm resolution with tenant — issue resolved? Further works required?

• Obtain contractor quote where appropriate — for non-emergency repairs above a defined cost threshold; quote approved before works commence
• Instruct contractor — with clear scope of work; agree access arrangements with tenant (minimum 24-hour notice in England)
• Confirm completion — with the tenant; work done to the required standard? Follow-up visit by the property manager if significant works
• Approve and pay invoice — against the agreed scope and price; retain for landlord records and tax purposes
• Close the repair request — in the maintenance log; with the completion date and resolution

• Give 24 hours minimum notice — in writing; England: landlord must give at least 24 hours notice; cannot enter without consent or notice except in genuine emergency
• Conduct a systematic inspection — every room; exterior; garden (where applicable); roof/gutters visible; condition against the inventory baseline
• Inspect for structural issues — cracks, damp, water staining, plaster deterioration, roof damage, gutter blockage
• Inspect all services — heating and hot water functioning; electrical fittings not damaged; plumbing not leaking; ventilation adequate
• Inspect for tenant damage — beyond fair wear and tear; documented with photographs; raised with the tenant
• Produce a written inspection report — dated; with photographs; filed in the property record

• Annual boiler service — by a Gas Safe registered engineer (combines with the gas safety certificate where applicable)
• Annual gutter clean — particularly important for older properties; blocked gutters are a primary cause of damp
• External decoration cycle — typically every 5–7 years for paintwork; assessed during inspections
• Internal decoration — assessed at each tenancy change and at periodic inspections; budgeted and scheduled
• Damp and ventilation check — mould-prone areas inspected annually; ventilation adequate?
• Test all smoke and CO alarms — at the start of each tenancy and annually; replace as required

• Maintain a certificate register — for every property; listing all compliance certificates with issue date, expiry date, and next renewal date
• Gas Safety Certificate renewal — scheduled 30 days before expiry; Gas Safe engineer booked in advance; new certificate provided to tenant within 28 days of renewal
• EICR renewal — at 5-year intervals or at each change of tenancy; electrician booked in advance
• EPC review — valid for 10 years; note upcoming minimum standard changes (proposed increase to C rating for new tenancies in England — monitor for implementation date); budget for improvement works if required