Unoccupied buildings during the lockdown need to be maintained before reopening.
Inadequate maintenance can pose a risk to buildings shut down during Covid-19, says JLL
In these unprecedented and challenging times, many properties in Thailand, particularly residential condominium buildings in resort destinations, where owners have a unit as a holiday home or an investment, are understandably unoccupied.
However, properties left vacant for a short or extended period can be at risk of deterioration if time is not taken for preventative measures, cautions Dexter Norville, head of property and asset management at the property services firm JLL.
When the building is left vacant or has a low occupancy, there is a need to review the current running costs of an estate.
However, it is important to find the right balance between cost savings and ensuring the relevant regular maintenance is undertaken to prevent the risk of large capital expenditure later.
Many operational actions are still required even when the building is shut down temporarily. Examples include maintaining machinery, albeit at a reduced level, checking and testing the life and safety systems, ensuring security, conducting periodic pest control and cleaning.
When a property is left unattended, there are many risks such as leaks and infestations of insects or vermin that would also go unnoticed.
These risks could lead to more extensive and expensive property damage, and subsequently costs to rehabilitate units, common areas and machinery.
There are also numerous statutory requirements when it comes to property management. For example, common areas need continued service by the property managers to ensure the upkeep of maintenance and that insurance policy requirements are met.
For these reasons, many property management team members such as building managers, technicians, guards and cleaners are required to remain on site to provide an “essential” service.
There are many ways for building owners and managers to find some cost savings while maintaining basic property management.
Cost-saving initiatives from a common area perspective should include measures such as reducing the service hours of elevators (particularly during curfew hours) and times when certain pumps are operated, reviewing the hours that common lighting is used in less critical areas, resetting timers for external lights to more efficient hours, and switching off air-conditioning units in areas such as reception spaces.
JLL’s experience shows that, with an efficient plan, overall energy consumption during vacant periods can drop by as much as 20%, depending on the building design and systems.
Moreover, the building, the juristic person committee and the property managers may use the current opportunity to carry out maintenance on difficult-to-access systems, upgrades and work that previously could only be done during weekends or late nights.
This could include testing electrical systems, wastewater treatment plant checks or high-reach lighting repairs to avoid disturbing the residents.
These quieter times are also a good opportunity for onsite staff to undertake any jobs that had been earmarked for the future, especially where a sub-contractor might have been considered. Typical examples include big cleaning and painting of car parks, minor repairs and improving general common area signage.
It’s not only the building, but also individual units that need adequate maintenance.
Similar risks can come when a unit is unoccupied for a long time.
When it comes to post-lockdown and ramping back up operations as owners and visitors come back to the resorts and cities, those properties that have been properly managed and maintained will require less investment, time and effort to be able to welcome back occupiers.
‘‘ Property managers may use the current opportunity to carry out maintenance on difficult-to-access systems, upgrades and work that previously could only be done during weekends or late nights.