A Preventive Maintenance Schedule for Short-Term Rentals

Reactive maintenance — fixing things after a guest complains — is expensive and review-damaging. Preventive maintenance is scheduled, recurring work that keeps a property in shape before anything breaks.

A baseline schedule

Monthly: test smoke/CO detectors, check HVAC filters, run all faucets and flush unused toilets, inspect caulking and grout.

Quarterly: deep-clean appliances, service HVAC, check water heater, inspect exterior/roofline, test all locks and smart-lock batteries.

Annually: professional HVAC service, gutter cleaning, pest inspection, re-seal decks/patios, inventory and replace worn linens and kitchenware.

Per-turnover: the cleaner's damage sweep feeds the maintenance backlog — a loose handle spotted today is a cheap fix now, not an emergency later.

Turning a schedule into recurring work

The value is in the recurrence, not the list. Each item should:

• Recur automatically on its cadence (monthly/quarterly/annual).
• Alert the right person before it's due — and dedupe so you get one open

alert per rule, not a flood.

• Attach to an asset (the specific HVAC unit, water heater, lock) so you have

a per-asset service history.

• Capture proof when done.

How Maravo handles this

Maravo generates recurring alerts per rule (deduped to one open alert each), tracks maintenance assets and logs, and records proof-of-work with timestamps. Completed priced work can auto-log as an expense, feeding cost and tax reports.

FAQ

What's the ROI of preventive maintenance? It converts unpredictable emergency costs and bad reviews into planned, lower-cost work — and gives you a service history that supports resale and owner reporting.