Communal areas are the arteries of your residential blocks: they’re the places that your residents and visitors see every day that represent the work you do for them. Making sure yours stay in good condition is key to keeping occupiers happy. But this requires more than just reactive fixes when things go wrong; to keep everything in tip top condition, you need a robust Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) strategy.
Why PPM in communal spaces matters
Communal areas are the most visible indication of the work you do for your blocks, but keeping them clean and well-maintained is important beyond just keeping your residents happy. Fixing problems before they occur can extend the lifespan of your assets—especially complex mechanical systems like lifts, security systems and electronic doors. Regular upkeep reduces wear and tear, saving money on replacements in the long run and reducing disruptions and emergencies caused by sudden breakages.
Most importantly, of course, PPM in communal areas keeps your buildings compliant with legal regulations and minimise risk for the building’s accountable persons. Planning ahead means you can keep track of what work has been done and what still needs to be done, making it much easier to have a bird’s eye view of compliance and be able to prove that you have done everything required.
PPM can also ensure no communal area slips through the cracks, especially when not all buildings are exactly the same. When you’re working reactively and not planning ahead, it’s possible to forget about a communal area that one building had that another might not—such as a children’s play area. Having a clear record of what must be done for each communal area and system (such as refuse areas, gardens, play areas, receptions, lighting and security systems, etc) makes keeping everything in working order much less stressful in your day-to-day.
Using software to transform your maintenance management
When you have many assets in your portfolio, systematising your PPM is absolutely essential. Having a software solution for this—whether it’s within your CRM or using a specialist maintenance solution—can be a big boost to your efficiency.
One of the biggest benefits of using software for your planned maintenance is that it gives you a centralised source of truth for your asset management. Everything being logged within the same system means that you won’t accidentally schedule a gardener to attend the property twice in the same week, or forget to book in a painter for both buildings that need touch-ups instead of just one. Moreover, keeping all your records and communications in one place means you’ll never have to go searching through your email inbox (or worse, that big stack of papers on your desk) for the invoices and certificates that you need to cross-reference.
Everything being in one place gives you a reliable, future-proof resource that you can always refer back to.
Try automating scheduling for stress-free PPM
One of the biggest challenges for property managers can be making sure all your statutory tasks and certifications for communal spaces are completed on time so that your assets don’t fall into non-compliance.
Automatic scheduling of tasks of all frequencies, from monthly landscaping and grounds upkeep to annual fire door inspections to completing EICRs for lighting in common areas every five years, means that there is less to keep track of manually, saving you a lot of hassle in the long run.
Automating these tasks eliminates the risk of forgetting both aesthetic and critical maintenance, meaning that you stay ahead of all kinds of potential issues, and can help with the streamlining of communication between yourself and the contractors you book these tasks in with. Coordinating between contractors, residents and your team eats up time in your day, so having some kind of automatic system that lets you skip the busywork is well worth your while.
Software maintenance platforms can simplify this automatic communication by providing a centralised hub where you can issue works orders directly to your contractors, notify residents of upcoming maintenance to minimise complains, and track job progress in real time so that you’re always in the loop.
Take control of your communal area maintenance
In summary, these are some of the key benefits of staying on top of your PPM that make investing time and resources in a robust system well worth it:
- Improved resident satisfaction. Well-maintained communal areas show off the hard work that you’re doing for your residents, making them more understanding when things do go wrong.
- Cost savings. PPM minimises the need for emergency repairs and asset replacements by fixing small issues before they become big, expensive ones.
- Time savings and streamlined operations. PPM, especially when enacted with an up-to-date software system, automates repetitive tasks and gives you more time to focus on the activities that need a human touch.
- No compliance worries. A well-organised PPM schedule vastly reduces the risk of your buildings slipping into legal non-compliance that would end you up in hot water.
Want to discover how you can leverage a planned maintenance system for your buildings. Discover Fixflo’s top-of-the-range PPM module designed for block managers who want to take control.
