Hi Kari, one of my clients just asked why we don’t always go with the cheapest vendor for building maintenance. He thinks it’s all pipes and plungers. How do I explain that cutting corners now could cost him tenants and money later?

Here is the quick answer: “Because a ‘quick fix’ today can turn into a legal headache tomorrow.” I call this stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

After 25+ years in property management, one thing is clear: your vendor choices echo through every hallway and review page. At SKY Properties, we don’t just juggle plumbing schedules and pest control contracts; we orchestrate resident satisfaction, asset preservation, and investor confidence. Resident reviews are a good indicator of what is happening at a building. Of course, you always need to take into consideration that most tenants only post when they are unhappy and not when they have a great experience. If there are dozens of bad reviews take a look at your maintenance and consider budgeting more money towards your maintenance budget.

Apartment Maintenance Is More Than a Line Item, It’s a Resident Retention Strategy

• A delayed HVAC repair in August isn’t just a hiccup, it’s a lease-break trigger.
• An unreliable handyman doesn’t just leave things broken; they chip away at brand reputation.
• Choosing vendors on price alone ignores what we see every day: resident trust is fragile, and high turnover is expensive.

We’ve managed enough units to know what owners don’t always see: a cheap vendor might win the bid, but they could cost you five-star reviews, lease renewals, and long-term asset value. Residents are vocal and do not forget bad service, saying fix it right the first time isn’t just the best advice, it is your residents’ expectation. Trying to go the cheap route with repairs on HVAC, appliances, plumbing and electric won’t just inconvenience and annoy your tenant, it can affect your reputation. Disgruntled residents are keyboard warriors, and you’ve also heard that people retell a bad experience to at least 10 others. A bad vendor can offer a great price, but that does not mean they are the best choice. Luckily for SKY we have had most of our vendors for years.

Our solution? Start quantifying vendor impact with tenant satisfaction.

It is important to use vendors that you know and trust to get good results, this happens through trial and error often but starts with recommendations.

Bottom line; prioritizing cost over quality, reliability, and service to your residents will lead to negative consequences including property reputation damage and more costly repairs in the long run. Avoid any vendor that cuts corners on materials and expertise. Lower quality items will break down quicker requiring further repairs or even replacement sooner, negating any initial “savings”.

Our best advice; get it fixed right the first time.

Written by Kari Negri

Kari Negri is the Chief Executive Officer of Sky Property Management and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles. For questions, you can reach Kari at Kari@SKYprop.LA.