Ideally, tenants would never experience maintenance issues, however, when it comes to residential property investment, this isn’t the deal. A landlord needs to be prepared for urgent issues and plans for long-term issues. Urgent issues would include; leaks, loss of heating, electrical issues and malfunctioning appliances. Long-term issues may include a new bathroom, new boiler or aesthetic issues like flooring.

In our experience, reported maintenance issues don’t go away, and ignoring them is only likely to make the issue worse and sour tenant relations. The advice is to deal with them quickly and efficiently, keeping all parties updated. Part of this is to correctly identify the problem and avoid unnecessary callout charges.

When a maintenance issue is reported the first thing to ascertain is who is responsible. Is it a tenant obligation or a landlord obligation? Below are examples of each.

Tenant obligations include:

• General garden maintenance
• Discretionary painting
• Pest control
• Drainage issues (more on that later)
• Light bulb replacement
• Damage due to excessive wear and tear

Landlord obligations include:

• Plumbing issues
• Electrical issues
• Appliance issues
• Heating issues
• Damage due to normal wear and tear

Assuming the issue is a landlord obligation, it is important to get as much detail as possible. It’s almost always quicker to spend time getting a full understanding of the problem rather than rush to fix the issue, only to send the wrong tradesperson; wasting time and money.

Below are some commonly reported maintenance issues and how to handle them. 

1. There is No Water

When a tenant reports that there is no water, the first thing to ask is if the water isn’t heating or if there is no water. If there is no water, find out the following:

• Is it a house or an apartment? Apartments generally have pumps, houses generally have pressure-fed systems
• If it’s a house, ask the tenant if there is water from the cold tap in the kitchen as this comes straight from the mains
• If there is no cold water from the kitchen tap, it is an external issue that Irish Water should be resolving and no plumber will be required
• If it is an apartment and there is no water from the cold tap in the kitchen, ask the tenant to contact the management company to see if there is an issue in the block
• If there is water from the cold tap in the kitchen but none elsewhere, the issue will be with the pump
• Ask the tenants to make sure the pump is switched on
• The pump should be located beside the cylinder
• If the pump is switched on and there is still no water we will need a pump specialist

Solution

Send the job to the pump specialist. A plumber will only replace the pump.

Typical costs below

• Pump repair, typically around €180 inc. VAT at 13.5%
• Reconditioned negative head pump, approximately €500 plus VAT at 13.5%, 6 months parts warranty
• Reconditioned pumps are usually around 50% of the price of a new pump and have similar lifespans

Water not heating

If a tenant reports that they have water but it is not heating up, the issue is most likely with the immersion.

Generally, apartments and houses have an immersion system to heat hot water. Immersions also called elements are located within a cylinder which acts like a big kettle with the immersion heating the water.

A thermostat regulates the temperature. A time clock controls the temperature settings.

Depending on the nature of the problem, an electrician or plumber will be required. If it is an issue with the time clock, an electrician will be required to replace the time clock.

There are two types of time clocks; analogue and digital:

• An analogue time clock will have a dial to set the time for when the heating should come on. If the dial is stuck, which the tenants will need to confirm, the time clock will need to be replaced by an electrician. The cost of replacement is typically around €250 plus VAT at 13.5%.
• A digital time clock will have a digital display which can be programmed to set the heating. If the display is blank and not lighting up, it will need to be replaced by an electrician. The cost of replacement is typically around €250 plus VAT at 13.5%.
• If the digital timeclock is an Economy 7 or E7 timeclock (it will say E7 or Economy 7 on the device), an electrician will be required to replace the timeclock regardless of whether the display is blank or lit.

With the exception of an Economy 7 time clock, if the time clock appears to the working, the issue will be with the thermostat or the immersion itself. These parts can’t be repaired and the cost to supply and fit replacements is estimated below:

• Thermostat, around €150 plus VAT at 13.5%
• Immersion, around €250 plus VAT at 13.5.5%

Summary

• Check time clock first, if there is an issue here send an electrician and advise him to fit a new clock if required, a callout is not necessary here
• If the time clock is operational, with the exception of an economy 7 timeclock, send a plumber and advise him to fit whichever ever part is required, a callout is not necessary here

2. Heaters Aren’t Working

A tenant reports that their heaters aren’t working.

Find out the following:

• Is the heating gas or electric? If there is a gas supply the heaters will be gas radiators
• If there is an issue with a gas radiator, it will most likely be airlocked and need to be bled. This is something a tenant can do by watching this how-to video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IP54Kbgnv0
• In some cases, this will cause the pressure to drop and the boiler will need to be topped up to restore the heating in the property. Again, this is something a tenant can do by watching this how-to video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3I1x-QcTdg
• If the heating is electric, as is common with many apartments, find out which heater is not working

Below are the different types of heaters and where they are generally located:

Storage heaters are usually located in living rooms and hallways, designed to store heat within bricks inside the unit. The heat is stored during the night at a lower electricity rate and slowly released during the day.

They will also have a convector element that will provide instant heat. They are generally not required in hallways.

These units were popular during the nineties and noughties and many are now well past their defined obsolesce period. Replacement parts can take at least 2 weeks to source and repair costs vary between €300 and €400 plus VAT at 13.5%. In our opinion, this is a false economy.

Solution

For living rooms, 2kw lifestyle heaters are used, the cost for these is approximately €900 plus VAT at 13.5% to supply, fit and dispose of old heaters. Expected life span of 8 years. Benefits include; good aesthetics, energy efficiency, and durability.

For bedrooms, panel heaters are used, the cost for these is around €400 plus VAT at 13.5% to supply, fit and dispose of old heaters. They are not economical to repair.

For bathrooms, downflow heaters are used, the cost for these is approximately €180 plus VAT at 13.5% to supply fit and dispose of old heaters. Again these are not economical to repair.

Staying on top of maintenance issues and clearly understanding the responsibilities of both landlord and tenant is essential for a smooth rental experience. Quick, effective handling of problems such as water supply, heating, and appliance issues helps maintain a positive relationship with tenants while also protecting your property investment.

We have covered some of the most common maintenance responsibilities and solutions. In our next post, we’ll delve deeper into other key areas, including boiler maintenance, electrical issues, and tips for managing mould and ventilation.

Stay tuned for more insights to help you manage your property effectively and responsibly.