Property managers perform a range of duties throughout the day from handling tenant complaints to showing units and even arranging basic repairs and maintenance work.
One of the ongoing duties of property managers in many apartments, manufactured home parks, and other types of multifamily dwellings are to manage utility bills and payments.
A very effective way to eliminate this ongoing task is to switch the property from a traditional ratio billing system to individual submeters. The benefits of automated meter reading through these systems can really add up to time saved for tenant and property maintenance issues.
Develop an Understanding of Usage Patterns
With real-time automated meter reading systems in place, the property manager can develop a better understanding of typical water use patterns throughout the building. This is true for both residential and commercial properties, which can then be used as baseline data for setting water conservation goals or setting up programs for LEED-certified buildings to continue to meet requirements.
Identify Atypical Water Use in Individual Units
For apartments, condos, townhouses and manufactured home parks, the use of automated meter reading allows for quick detection of unusually high-water use. Automatic notices can be set up to flag atypical use to quickly detect leaks in occupied units or water use in units currently vacant. With this information, the property manager can make the necessary checks and correct the issue quickly.
Avoid Billing Problems With Tenants
With automated meters, tenant issues with meter reading services can be virtually eliminated. This is even more effective if the utility management company handles tenant billing and payment, allowing their services to handle questions through a secure website, freeing up the property manager.
Top companies offering installation of smart meters as well as billing and payments also provide a secure login to their account for customers, allowing individual tenants to view past bills and to stay current with their invoicing and payments.