A property maintenance work order is form delivered to a property manager or maintenance technician detailing the problems that need to be fixed, how to fix (in some cases), and the date to complete the order.

What is a Property Maintenance Work Order?

A property (building) maintenance work order is typically created by a property owner (landlord) or a management company with the information obtained by a tenant that is having issues within the living space of their rented occupancy. Whether the property is residential or commercial, landlords have a obligated duty (usually set out in the rental agreement) to provided basic services to their tenant (such has water, electricity, heating/AC).

When a tenant has issues with a service that they are obligated to have, a work order will be created with the information provided by the tenant and will be at the expense of the landlord. When problems arise due to the fault of the tenant, such as a unnecessary damages, the work order will be billed to the tenant for the cost of the repairs. Any type of fix that is outside the landlord’s realm of responsibility, the cost will fall onto the tenant. If the tenant is unable to pay for the cost of the work order, the work order should be saved and the cost should be deducted from the tenant’s security deposit at the end of their tenancy. Included in a property maintenance work order are the following:

• Property address (including the tenant’s unit or suite number)
• Amount spent to perform maintenance (labor, materials bought, 3rd party contractors)
• Requested work (explanation of the issues and/or the a description of what needs to be performed)
• Tenant’s contact information