Twice a year AC inspection/??

[john3232]

The problem I had in the past with home warranties in the quality of venders was hit and miss. If you live in the home and can verify what is being done fine but I can't do this.

Any owners with rental properties recommend a home warranty such as American Home Shield?

My feeling is property management companies often recommend a home warranty service because it saves them time and not necessarily because it might be the best option for the owner.

I prefer vendors that I have direct contact with to ensure I know exactly what the problem is and why it a happened.

On the other hand a home warranty can easily pay for itself should you need a new AC or water heater but then how often does that happen?

Owning rental property is never easy but doing so from out of state can be a nightmare esp. when things go wrong.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by john3232

The problem I had in the past with home warranties in the quality of venders was hit and miss. If you live in the home and can verify what is being done fine but I can't do this.

Any owners with rental properties recommend a home warranty such as American Home Shield?

My feeling is property management companies often recommend a home warranty service because it saves them time and not necessarily because it might be the best option for the owner.

I prefer vendors that I have direct contact with to ensure I know exactly what the problem is and why it a happened.

On the other hand a home warranty can easily pay for itself should you need a new AC or water heater but then how often does that happen?

Owning rental property is never easy but doing so from out of state can be a nightmare esp. when things go wrong.

I have rentals, but after reading the policies (and the reviews), i decided not to buy the warranties. I do have my units checked in the spring by my trusted a/c guy. I think he charges me $40~$50 per house to do so, (keep in mind i have 5). Several times over the past few years he has caught burnt or degraded wiring, leaky capacitors & flaky condenser motors on units that appeared "fine". An annual check lets my tenants know i care about the property & its also a chance for me to peek at the roof & look for any damage. My a/c guy fills out the repair order with technical data that anyone in the trade can verify & proves the units are in good order. If you know the amp/draw, wet bulb, line pressures & the temp split, you know any complaints of a "high bill" are the tenant's problem, and not the landlord's.

A/c guys run themselves ragged in the hot season, and if you only call every five years when the a/c unit catches on fire, youll be at the bottom of the priority list & youll pay top dollar when they do get around to fixing your unit.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by john3232

The problem I had in the past with home warranties in the quality of venders was hit and miss. If you live in the home and can verify what is being done fine but I can't do this.

Any owners with rental properties recommend a home warranty such as American Home Shield?

My feeling is property management companies often recommend a home warranty service because it saves them time and not necessarily because it might be the best option for the owner.

I prefer vendors that I have direct contact with to ensure I know exactly what the problem is and why it a happened.

On the other hand a home warranty can easily pay for itself should you need a new AC or water heater but then how often does that happen?

Owning rental property is never easy but doing so from out of state can be a nightmare esp. when things go wrong.

I like warranty companies because they protect you from being ripped off. Warranty companies usually pay a company for their labor but the companies are responsible for the parts that are involved. Therefore, companies will not try to do excessive work unless it is needed. If these companies try to shortchange you, you can call the warranty company for a second opinion or complain the problem still exists.

Are the vendors hit or miss? Yes However with AHS, they have a strict rating system and if vendors don't yield high enough ratings they are kicked out. This has been my experience as many bad companies are no longer vendors and the recent list of vendors I use are reputable. You can also request to use certain vendors you've had success with and they will honor it if they are available.

I suppose you could contact vendors directly but you better trust they have your best interest and won't rack up a huge bill.

You don't need a new A/C or water heater for them to save you money. Even if they address small items, it adds up and over the course of a year, it will save you a lot of money. I've kept my warranty as a home owner for years and obviously I'm not changing my water heater each year. Most companies have a trip charge and then charge by the hour and then charge for parts. That adds up even for small jobs. My warranty is about $700 per year; one job can easily save you half that amount right off the bat. I easily get twice that amount in services annually and last year I got three times that amount. From A/C work to my swimming pool motor/pump to my refrigerator to plumbing etc. One year, I had a plumbing job that was over a 1K in that they had to go through the drywall for one of my rentals. It's paid off for me but everyone will have a different opinion based on their experience.

[MalteseJane]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

I have rentals, but after reading the policies (and the reviews), i decided not to buy the warranties. I do have my units checked in the spring by my trusted a/c guy. I think he charges me $40~$50 per house to do so, (keep in mind i have 5). Several times over the past few years he has caught burnt or degraded wiring, leaky capacitors & flaky condenser motors on units that appeared "fine". An annual check lets my tenants know i care about the property & its also a chance for me to peek at the roof & look for any damage. My a/c guy fills out the repair order with technical data that anyone in the trade can verify & proves the units are in good order. If you know the amp/draw, wet bulb, line pressures & the temp split, you know any complaints of a "high bill" are the tenant's problem, and not the landlord's.

A/c guys run themselves ragged in the hot season, and if you only call every five years when the a/c unit catches on fire, youll be at the bottom of the priority list & youll pay top dollar when they do get around to fixing your unit.

Exactly. That's why we have a service contract too.