4 Signs You Need a New Electrician for a Rental Property

When a tenant alerts a property manager to a problem, it’s the property manager’s responsibility to act. However, every property manager needs a team of reliable tradesmen behind them.
Even if you have an electrician currently working on your rental properties, there are a few signs to look out for that might mean you need a change.
Slow response times
Whether there’s a wiring fault, a broken-down heat pump, or a dodgy light, getting the job done and dusted is a priority.
The longer the problem stays a problem, the higher the chances of irritable tenants, and the more likely the problem will incur cost. From time wasted trying to chase down your sparky, updating the tenants on the situation to the likelihood that the problem could turn permanent – an electrician with a slow response time can quickly escalate into a big expense.
There will be times when the problem is more than just a dodgy light. Emergency electrical issues will, like any emergency, arise at some point. In these situations, time is of the essence. Your electrician should be able to immediately recognise when a problem poses a safety risk to the tenants or property and should know to act immediately.
Having an electrician who doesn’t react to an urgent repair quickly could make the property manager or landlord liable. Rental properties must be maintained in a reasonable state of repair. If an electrical fault is not dealt with, the rental property could be deemed non-compliant with the Residential Tenancies Act and result in fines from the Tenancy Tribunal.
Not enough capacity
Like with any business, more staffing means more things get done. And a quick response time truly relies on the company’s capacity to do so.
You may have an experienced electrician behind you, but they need a good team behind them. If you’re finding that your regular electrician isn’t responding as quickly as they once did, or maybe they’ve never really responded fast enough, double-check to see what their team size is. It could be they’ve gone through a staffing reshuffle and no longer have the capacity to handle the jobs you need performing on your managed rental properties.
Poor Health and Safety Standards
As we continue to live in an era of masks and social distancing, the more the importance of health and safety is realised.
All professional electricians should follow basic health and safety standards that protect them, the tenants, and the property. But does your electrician have a COVID-19 protocol? Despite being labeled as an essential service, your electrician should have developed and provided you with their own clear guidelines for how to safely carry out work during a lockdown.
If you find they haven’t developed or provided you with their own guidelines, they are likely not committed to protecting their staff and customers from the transmission of COVID-19.
Lack of communication
There’s nothing worse than getting a bill you didn’t expect.
More often than not, when an electrician is carrying out maintenance or repairs, something else will come up. Whether it be something else that needs fixing or they realise the job is going to be bigger than what was originally quoted, your electrician should notify you straight away before continuing.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. It isn’t uncommon for some electricians to take matters into their own hands and go ahead and just add a few extra surprise charges to your bill. If you’re finding this is the case time and time again, you should know that it doesn’t have to be so.
A trusted electrician should first identify what needs to be done, and if it’s more than what was quoted or discussed, they should stop and communicate that clearly to you before moving forward.
If you are finding you can relate to anything we’ve discussed above, then it’s time for a new electrician.
At No Shock, we have quick response times because we have the support of a dedicated and experienced team. We strongly value health and safety and have developed our own sanitary guidelines, staff guidelines, and procedures for clients during a lockdown. From start to finish, we provide clear and effective communication with all of our clients, so you can be confident you know precisely what, when, and how much a job will be.