Preventative and Proactive Maintenance

Preventive/Preventative Maintenance (PM) is "a routine for periodically inspecting" with the goal of "noticing small problems and fixing them before major ones develop." Ideally, "nothing breaks down." 

A few examples of this include:

• Installing doorstops to prevent doorknobs from putting holes in the drywall.
• Installing water alarms under dishwashers to prevent slow and unknown water leaks.

Proactive Maintenance is a maintenance strategy that aims to identify and fix the reasons for equipment failure before it happens. The goal of proactive maintenance is to increase asset reliability and reduce the risk of downtime. 

A few examples of this include:

• Replacing your old water heater before it fails and likely causes water damage and habitability issues.
• Replacing your old roof before it fails and starts leaking and causes water damage and habitability issues.

The saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems like a practical approach to handling maintenance activities. That is until you see the huge bill for needing to urgently fix critical assets that have broken down. Unplanned downtime not only seriously impacts habitability but also subjects tenants to safety risks from faulty equipment.

With repair costs on the rise, many believe the best way to control their costs is through preventative and proactive maintenance practices!