It's important for property owners to understand how repairs and maintenance are handled. We created this article to help you understand the Doorstead approach. 

In this article, we'll answer some of the most common questions about our repair and maintenance process. 

Please refer to this as a reference guide and schedule a call with our team anytime to discuss any additional questions you might have. 

How are repairs and maintenance handled, and who is responsible for the costs?

As the property owner, you are responsible for the costs associated with the initial repairs and any ongoing maintenance. However, Doorstead will work closely with you to prioritize repairs, provide estimates, and manage the coordination with our trusted vendor network to ensure it meets our standards.

Doorstead's general approach to repairs and maintenance varies depending on the type of contract you have with us. 

For Guarantee customers:

Initial Rent-Ready Repairs required (prior to tenant placement)

Before listing your property, Doorstead conducts a thorough evaluation to identify repairs that will give you a competitive advantage, ensure code compliance, and prevent future costly issues. Our team will provide you with a list of recommended rent-ready repairs, which typically include:

• Ensuring appliances are fully functional, safe. For our Guarantee service, we also address cosmetic flaws.
• Addressing any plumbing, electrical, or HVAC issues
• Repairing or repainting walls with severe flaws
• Fixing or replacing damaged flooring, cabinetry, countertops, doors, and windows
• Resolving any health and safety concerns, such as mold, leaks, or infestations

Here are some real-life examples and guidelines around reasonable repairs for Rent-Ready under our Guarantee service.

For Flex and Tenant Placement Only customers:

The rent-ready evaluation process isn’t necessary for Flex and Tenant Placement Only contracts. We offer the Rent-ready process as an add-on to Flex for $275.

These are repairs we do on an as-needed basis as part of your property’s onboarding process. Please view this Doorstead Rent-Ready article for examples of reasonable repairs we might encounter in the rent-ready process. 

• For Flex and Tenant Placement Only contracts: Doorstead provides a checklist of property condition requirements, and owners self-manage the initial make-ready process.
• For Guarantee contracts: Doorstead completes an initial evaluation, provides owners with a repairs list and cost estimates for approval, manages and quality assures the work, and invoices the owner.

The cost of Rent Ready repairs is the property owner's responsibility. Doorstead works to ensure that all costs are reasonable and standard and that owners are informed and approve of any expenses that exceed their pre-approved maintenance limit. We call this pre-approved limit our Not to Exceed (NTE) amount, which is $500.

Ongoing Maintenance Repairs (All Contract Types):

For the full duration of the tenant lease, Doorstead handles all repair and maintenance requests directly from tenants. We assess the issue, troubleshoot with the tenant, and if necessary, coordinate with licensed professionals to resolve the problem. 

For repairs that exceed your pre-approved spending limit, we will seek your approval before proceeding.

Here’s how we handle different ongoing property repair scenarios once we’ve placed your tenant:

• Non-emergency repairs: Doorstead verifies the need for repairs and troubleshoots with tenants. If the issue persists and the request is valid, we gather the scope of work and quickly collect estimates from our trusted vendor network. If the estimates are within the owner's pre-approved maintenance limit, approval is automatically given. This Not to Exceed (NTE) amount is $500 for all owners. If estimates exceed the NTE, we require owner approval on the repairs (through text or email). Once approved, Doorstead manages and quality assures the work and invoices the owner.
• Emergency repairs: Doorstead qualifies the repair and troubleshoots with tenants, and if the issue persists and the request is valid, we call the owner immediately to check for preferred vendors and next steps. If the owner doesn't answer, an emergency vendor in our network is dispatched. Doorstead manages and quality assures the work and invoices the owner. Home warranties aren't used in emergency situations to ensure timely resolution.
• After-hours emergencies: When a tenant submits an after-hours emergency ticket, an auto-response is sent with helpful information for the tenant and emergency vendor phone numbers. Emergency vendors are dispatched to mitigate the issue at the next earliest working availability, and Doorstead quality assures the work and invoices the owner the following morning after the repairs have been completed.
• Home warranty repairs: If the repair falls under home warranty coverage, Doorstead contacts the owner to provide the home warranty company with information and have them coordinate directly with tenants to resolve the issue.

The cost of ongoing maintenance repairs is generally the property owner's responsibility. Again, we work to ensure that all costs are reasonable, standard market rates, and that owners are kept informed and approve any expenses that exceed their pre-approved maintenance limit.

Turnover Repairs:

These are any final repairs that potentially need to be completed as a tenant is completing their lease. Specifics surrounding the turnover repair process are summarized below by product and situation. 

• For Guarantee contracts with renewing owners: Doorstead completes a Move-Out Walk-Through, compares it to the Move-In Walk-Through, identifies tenant damages, obtains estimates, manages tenant and owner-responsible repairs, quality assures the work, returns the security deposit, and completes the Security Deposit Return Form in compliance with state regulations.
• For Flex contracts: Owners manage the turnover repair process or can opt-in for Doorstead's managed turnover service.
• For owners leaving Doorstead: Owners manage the turnover repair process or can opt-in for Doorstead's managed turnover service for an additional charge.

The cost of turnover repairs and maintenance is generally the property owner's responsibility unless the tenant causes damage.

How involved are property owners in approving repairs and maintenance expenses?

Property owners are involved in approving repairs and maintenance expenses that exceed their pre-approved maintenance limit (a $500 standard). We provide owners with estimates for approval (via text or email) before proceeding with any work that surpasses this threshold.  

We manage an average of 63 tenant interactions (emails, calls, and maintenance requests) on behalf of our owners annually after tenant placement. This saves owners countless hours and spares them unnecessary headaches. You're in good hands with us!

What is Doorstead’s process for handling repair and maintenance requests from tenants?

Tenants submit a maintenance request via a form on their tenant portal. Doorstead follows a systematic process to address the issue. 

We first qualify the repair and troubleshoot with the tenants. If the issue persists and the request is valid, we obtain a scope of work and estimates. 

• If the estimates are within the owner's pre-approved limit, we proceed automatically.
• If the estimates exceed the limit, we seek owner approval before proceeding.

What is the quality of vendors and contractors used by Doorstead?

Doorstead works with a network of trusted, licensed, and insured vendors and contractors to handle repairs and maintenance. We carefully vet our vendors to ensure they provide high-quality work and excellent service.

Can home warranties be used for repairs and maintenance?

Yes, home warranties can be used for certain repairs and maintenance tasks. If a repair falls under the coverage of a home warranty, Doorstead will contact the owner to provide the home warranty company with information and have the warranty company coordinate with tenants to resolve the issue. 

However, please note that home warranties are not used in emergency situations to ensure timely resolution.

"We have been really pleased with Doorstead. They marketed our apartments and had top quality tenants applying within a week. It took about 3 weeks to fill my vacancies. Maintenance requests have been handled well, and the team is great about maintaining good, open communication. I recommend Doorstead as a property management company."

Jessica Munoz1 on Zillow (5 stars)

At Doorstead, our goal is to make the repairs and maintenance process as smooth and stress-free as possible for every property owner. 

We hope this article answers your pressing questions. If you have any other questions about working with Doorstead, please contact our customer service team. From there, you can select the option that works best for you.