What is a property manager’s worst nightmare? If you answered “bad tenants”, I would give you a silver medal, but in my opinion, water takes the top spot.

Why is water a property manager’s worst enemy?

While bad tenants certainly CAN cause damage to your property and cost you thousands in repairs, water is GUARANTEED to do so over time. Water can cause moisture damage which can lead to mildew, mold, and even rot. It can slowly eat away at your drywall, insulation, framing, sheeting, flooring, etc, and cost you huge dollars to remedy if you don’t catch it in time!

How can water get into my property?

Remember that water will always find a way into your property! It will follow the path of least resistance. Here are the main ways that water will find it’s way into your property;

1.  basement seepage- Cracks will form in your basement foundation over time, eventually letting the water in

2. leaky roof- this can come through curled up shingles, poor design, or weathered caulking and sealing

3. leaking pipes- this will generally occur from leaks in supply lines. Older copper piping can be problematic and develop pinhole leaks over time, causing major damage

4. bathrooms- shower and tub surrounds, overflowing tubs and toilets, missing grout around tiles, etc. can all let the water get under the floor and into the walls.

5. Windows- old windows can be very problematic when it comes to water ingress.

These are just a few culprits for water damage, of course there are many more.

To learn more, read our next article about how to specifically avoid water damage to your property here.

Looking for some help with property management? Reach out to our Vancouver Property Management Company today, and hopefully we can help you out!

Chris Stepchuk July 21, 2019