How Much Deferred Maintenance Is Hiding in Your Rental? (A Checklist)
When we take over a property, one of the first things we do is inspect every unit. Every time. And what we find is rarely nothing.
Tenants hand us lists of repairs they've been requesting for months — sometimes years. Safety equipment is missing or expired. Systems that should've been serviced on a schedule haven't been touched since move-in.
None of this happens because owners don't care. It happens because deferred maintenance is easy to miss when nobody's actively looking for it. So we put together the checklist we actually use, so you can run the same audit on your own property — whether you self-manage or just want to know what your current manager should be catching.
Safety Equipment
Smoke detectors — present in every required room, tested, and within their 10-year lifespan (check the manufacture date on the back).
Carbon monoxide detectors — required in most rental units, especially any with gas appliances or an attached garage. Batteries and function tested.
Fire extinguisher — if provided, gauge in the green zone and not past its inspection date.
These are the items most likely to be non-compliant, and the ones with the highest liability if something goes wrong.
HVAC System
Furnace filter — changed within the last 90 days. A neglected filter is one of the most common (and cheapest to prevent) causes of HVAC failure.
Furnace service — annual inspection/tune-up completed, especially before the winter season.
AC unit — condenser clear of debris, refrigerant lines intact, filter clean.
Thermostat — functioning correctly and, ideally, programmable to help prevent tenant-caused system strain.
Water & Plumbing
Water heater age — most units last 8–12 years. If you don't know the install date, check the label — it's a ticking clock worth tracking.
Visible leaks — under sinks, around toilets, at supply lines. Small leaks left unaddressed lead to bigger problems (and bigger bills).
Water pressure and drainage — slow drains or unusually low pressure often point to an issue worth catching early.
Exterior & Structural
Roof condition — missing shingles, visible sagging, or signs of water intrusion in the attic.
Gutters — clear of debris and properly directing water away from the foundation.
Exterior paint/siding — peeling paint or damaged siding isn't just cosmetic; it's an entry point for moisture damage.
Walkways and steps — checked for cracking, unevenness, or ice-related hazards, depending on your climate.
Appliances
Age and condition — dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, washer/dryer if provided. Note install dates so you're not caught off guard by a sudden failure.
Basic function check — every appliance actually working, not just present.
Lease & Paperwork Audit
Deferred maintenance isn't only physical. It's worth checking:
Is there a signed, current lease on file for every unit?
Are security deposits documented and held correctly?
Are contact and emergency information for tenants current?
We've taken over properties with units being rented out with no lease in place at all. It happens more often than you'd think.
Why This Matters
Every item on this list is cheap to catch early and expensive to ignore. A $15 furnace filter prevents a $3,000 furnace replacement. A $30 CO detector prevents a lawsuit. A five-minute lease audit prevents a legal mess down the road.
The pattern we see over and over: none of this gets missed because owners don't care about their properties. It gets missed because nobody's checking on a schedule. That's the entire job — not reacting when something breaks, but catching it before it does.
Not sure what's hiding in your rental?
If running through this checklist raised more questions than answers, that's exactly the kind of thing we catch during a property inspection. Let's talk. Blair Allen Property Management serves owners across South Dakota, Montana, and Arizona.
Chris Twiggs President, Blair Allen Property Management 📞 605-545-1218 ✉️ chris@blairallen.com