Most Common Rental Repairs and How To Avoid Them

By Bobbye Joe McMillan

Bobbye Joe McMillan is the driving force behind Cornerstone Property Management, bringing over 30 years of expertise in real estate to help clients achieve their property goals.

Are rental repairs eating into your profits and peace of mind? If you own or manage a rental property, you know how quickly dripping faucets, broken appliances, and failing systems can drain your time, money, and energy. The encouraging part is that many of these headaches can be avoided with a proactive approach. By taking simple preventive steps, you can keep small issues from becoming costly fixes, protect your investment, and keep tenants happy.

Not long ago, I spoke with a landlord who felt trapped in a cycle of repairs. Every month seemed to bring another bill: leaky faucets one week, a broken dishwasher the next, then HVAC problems during a heatwave. Their profits were slipping away, and their stress was through the roof.

We walked through their property together and built a proactive maintenance plan. Within a few months, the “urgent” calls slowed down and their expenses stabilized. It’s a reminder that big repairs often start as small issues that can be caught early.

If you’re worried about your rental, here are some of the most common repairs and what you can do about them.

1. Plumbing problems. Issues about plumbing are among the biggest sources of tenant complaints and can quickly escalate if ignored. Clogged drains, running toilets, and dripping faucets may look minor. However, they can cause hidden water damage inside walls, rot wood, and even trigger mold growth. They also waste water, which can increase utility bills.

Prevent these problems by scheduling routine inspections of all fixtures, educating tenants on what can and cannot go down the drains, and replacing worn-out washers or supply lines before they fail. Adding a quick plumbing check to your turnover process or seasonal maintenance schedule can dramatically cut emergencies.

2. HVAC breakdowns. Heating and cooling systems are central to tenant comfort and among the most expensive systems to repair or replace. Dirty filters, blocked outdoor units, and skipped maintenance can lead to poor performance, higher energy bills, and premature system failure. In extreme weather, a breakdown can even make the unit uninhabitable, forcing you to relocate tenants temporarily.

So, be sure to change filters every three months, schedule annual professional servicing, and keep outdoor units clear of debris. Preventive care like this improves air quality, lowers energy costs, and can extend the life of your system by years. Keeping maintenance records also helps you plan for upgrades.

3. Appliance failures. Refrigerators, dishwashers, and laundry machines get heavy use in rentals and are prone to wear and tear. A dirty refrigerator coil can overwork the motor, worn door seals can leak cold air, and poor tenant use can shorten lifespans. These small issues, if ignored, often snowball into major breakdowns or the need for early replacement.

Cleaning coils, checking seals, and making sure tenants know how to operate appliances correctly are simple steps that prevent breakdowns and extend lifespan. Even a basic annual check can catch loose hoses, frayed cords, or leaks before they become big problems, saving thousands in replacement costs.

4. Roof and gutter issues. Water is a landlord’s worst enemy. Roof leaks and clogged gutters don’t just cause ugly stains; they can damage insulation, ceilings, and siding. They could also invite pests and create an environment for mold. Neglected gutters also add weight and stress to the roofline, shortening the lifespan of your roof.

Cleaning gutters twice a year and inspecting for missing shingles or damaged flashing helps you catch problems early. Consider adding roof inspections after major storms or at least once a year. A small investment of time here can prevent a huge repair bill later.

5. Electrical hazards. Faulty outlets, flickering lights, and overloaded breakers are more than an annoyance. They are a serious safety risk and one of the leading causes of rental fires. Outdated wiring may also make your property noncompliant with current codes, which can become a liability issue in the event of an accident.

Regularly inspecting outlets, upgrading outdated wiring, and ensuring your property meets current code requirements helps protect both your investment and your tenants. Scheduling a licensed electrician for a safety check every few years can uncover hidden problems before they become dangerous or expensive to fix.

Keeping up with inspections, preventive maintenance, and follow-ups takes time and organization. That’s exactly what professional property managers do every day. We handle the planning and the follow-through so you can enjoy a higher ROI and peace of mind without the daily stress.

If you’d like to learn more about how our property management services can make owning rentals easier, feel free to call, text, or send me an email. I’ll walk you through your options and answer any questions you have so you can focus on growing your investment instead of worrying about repairs.