GET THE RIGHT ANSWER BEFORE THE REPAIR STARTS.

Handles the day-to-day repairs, servicing and upkeep of a property — plumbing, electrical, painting, roofing, gardens, HVAC and general handyman work — either reactively, call-out by call-out, or under an ongoing contract.

Property management covers the business side of a rental (tenants, leases, rent collection). Property maintenance covers the physical upkeep of the building itself. The two work together but are separate functions.

Apartment/sectional-title maintenance is split between what the body corporate maintains (common property) and what the owner maintains inside their own unit. A freestanding home has no such split — the owner is responsible for the whole property.

As a rule of thumb, 1–2% of the property’s value per year for routine upkeep, rising for older properties or those with pools, gardens and HVAC.

A retainer suits owners with multiple recurring needs (garden, pool, aircon) or commercial/body corporate clients wanting predictable costs and priority response. Pay-as-you-go suits occasional, unrelated jobs.

Under the Rental Housing Act, the landlord is responsible for structural repairs and keeping the property habitable; the tenant is responsible for day-to-day upkeep and any damage they cause (see Theme 15).

Geyser servicing, gutter cleaning, damp/waterproofing and electrical compliance — all four cause expensive damage if left unchecked.

Check for proof of registration and insurance, insist on a written itemised quote, and check recent reviews (HelloPeter/Google) rather than relying on word of mouth alone.

Roof and gutters, geyser and plumbing, electrical/DB board, damp and waterproofing, garden and irrigation, and security/access systems — checked at least twice a year.

Annually for a routine check; more often for older properties (pre-2000) or where there’s a history of leaks.

Service annually (anode/element check, pressure valve test). A standard electric geyser lasts 8–15 years depending on water quality and maintenance.

Usually yes — most low-pressure issues are a blocked or scaled pipe, a faulty pressure-reducing valve, or a municipal supply issue, all of which a plumber can diagnose and fix.

Mostly fat, hair, leaves and tree roots. Regular drain flushing and not disposing of fat or oil down sinks prevents most recurring blockages.

Burst pipes, no water, sewage backflow and active flooding are treated as emergencies with same-day response; non-urgent issues are scheduled within a few days.

Typically travel, the diagnostic assessment, and the first period of labour (often 30–60 minutes). Parts and further labour are billed separately and should be quoted before work proceeds.

There is no single national “plumbing COC” equivalent to the electrical one, but a beetle/entomologist certificate and, in some municipalities, a plumbing certificate may be required — check with the conveyancing attorney and municipality.