“I’ve seen the pain points on almost every side of this, because part of my experience was working with a REIT directly. And so with that owner entity as well.” – Tanya Severson

SFR Property maintenance might look simple like something breaks, someone fixes it but in practice, it’s a delicate balancing act. On our panel, Tanya, Stacy and Mendy walked through what they call the four legs of the stool: owners, maintenance companies, vendors and residents. When one leg wobbles, the whole system feels unstable.

“Maybe somebody needs to work on every side of that four-legged stool before they can fully operate functionally. Be a contractor yourself. If you can’t fix a door, you shouldn’t be running a property management company.” – Stacy Lusader

Each leg has different motivations. Owners want ROI and asset appreciation. Vendors want consistent, fair-paying work. Maintenance companies juggle SLAs, timelines, and thin margins. Residents just want to live safely and comfortably. Misaligned incentives lead to finger pointing, short-term fixes and what Stacy called the “death by a thousand cuts” in resident experience.

“If you don’t fix the right things at CapEx and the construction stage and you don’t maintain the property with a long-term vision then it hurts you next year, five years from now and ten years from now.” – Mendy Seeger

When owners and operators stop treating maintenance as a cost center and start seeing it as asset management. It’s not just about fixing emergencies; it’s about due diligence, preventative care and aligning exit strategies. As Mendy explained, program management and culture matter as much as the wrench in the technician’s hand.

“You create a team that supports vendors and they’ll stay with you forever. You have permanent loyalty.” – Stacy Lusader

Strong vendor partnerships, fair payment practices and proper vetting (including background checks) create trust across the ecosystem. When owners, operators and vendors work as true partners, residents reap the benefits of fewer disruptions, more predictable responses and confidence that they’ve made the right decision in choosing that home.

“It really is: throw your ego in the garbage can. We’re not hurting each other by working together. We’re hurting each other if we don’t work together.” – Mendy Seeger

Owners set the tone by investing in systems, education and transparency, culture is the glue. . Managers become partners in execution. Vendors feel loyalty instead of distrust. Residents feel heard and safe. When all four legs stand strong, the stool doesn’t wobble. It supports sustainable growth for everyone involved.

Action Items & Follow-Up Questions

• Audit your “operating box”: Do you have the right rules for quick, consistent maintenance decisions?
  
• Map your vendor partnerships: Are they vetted, trusted and loyal or rotating through a revolving door?
  
• Review your resident experience: Is your first-touch empathetic, transparent and trustworthy?
  
• Invest in culture: Do your teams feel safe to escalate problems and suggest solutions?
  
• Follow-up question: If you solved maintenance holistically, what’s the best that could happen for your asset, your team and your residents?