As Coronavirus rules change and we transition out of varying levels of lockdown, re-opening commercial properties for day-to-day use becomes a reality for many commercial property owners. During these unprecedented times, many of us find ourselves in unfamiliar situations. This is no different for those who have been accustomed to full and regular occupancy of their commercial properties. So what’s changed? How can we ensure that buildings that have been empty or at reduced occupancy are ready for workers to resume their activities? In this article, we’ll cover four maintenance steps for re-opening commercial properties.
Reschedule Annual Property Checks
Commercial properties that undergo several different property checks on a rolling basis may not have been kept on schedule while lockdown rules were in place. Now is the time to identify any annual property checks that were missed and reschedule them to ensure that the regulatory guidelines are met. Inspections for the operation of fire alarms, fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems should be accounted for and rescheduled if necessary.
Reschedule Preventative Maintenance Jobs
Similar to annual property inspections, regular maintenance jobs and checks that were postponed during lockdowns need to be identified and rescheduled as necessary. HVAC servicing, plumbing and water checks, energy efficiency inspections and so forth need to be brought back into a regular schedule. Scheduling them sooner rather than later will reduce the risk of downtime due to system failures or overbooked service provider schedules.
Walkthrough Property Inspection
If the commercial property has been unoccupied or has large areas which haven’t been used for some time, it’s a good idea to have a walk through the property and inspect systems such as plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire prevention, elevators, automatic doors etc. Identifying problems before tenants are back in full force can allow you to correct the issues and minimize downtime and tenant complaints.
Reset Automated Systems
If you had to shut down or adjust any automated systems such as lighting timers, thermostats, air conditioning etc, now is the time to reset them to the appropriate levels. Similarly, you may need to adjust them to correlate with news hours of operation or varying occupancy levels.
