Appliance Maintenance Checklist

Pull the unit from the wall, unplug it, and vacuum the condenser coils at the back or beneath the kickplate. Dust-clogged coils are the single most common cause of compressor failure on tenant-installed units and the easiest preventive win on the visit.

Wipe the gaskets with mild detergent and run the dollar-bill test — close the door on a bill at several points; if it slides out easily, the seal is failing. Order a replacement gasket rather than a new fridge.

If frost is over a quarter-inch on the freezer wall, defrost fully before reseating. Flush the defrost drain line to clear the slime that builds up and causes water pooling under the produce drawer — a frequent tenant complaint that masquerades as a leak.

Set fridge to 37°F and freezer to 0°F. Use a standalone thermometer rather than the unit's built-in display, which is often miscalibrated by 5-10°F on older units.

Run each surface burner and the bake/broil element through one full cycle. On gas units, look for a clean blue flame — yellow tips signal a clogged orifice or air-shutter problem and a CO risk.

Pull racks, run the self-clean cycle if the unit has one, and degrease the hood and range top. Heavy grease build-up is a flagged finding on Section 8 HQS inspections.

Set the oven to 350°F, let it preheat 20 minutes, and read a standalone oven thermometer at center rack. Variances over 25°F are the single most common cause of new-tenant baking complaints.

If the temperature reading missed the setpoint by more than 25°F, run the manufacturer's offset/recalibration procedure or open a work order with the appliance vendor. Note the make, model, and serial when dispatching.

Pop the upper and lower spray arms and rinse them. Clear each spray hole with a toothpick or thin wire — limescale plugs the holes in hard-water markets and tenants report it as 'dishwasher not cleaning' rather than a hardness issue.

Twist out the cylindrical filter at the floor of the tub, rinse it under hot water, and scrub with a soft brush. A clogged filter is the most common dishwasher work-order root cause and the cheapest possible fix.

Run a paper towel along the door seal looking for splits or hardening. Pull the kickplate and inspect the supply line and drain hose for kinks or moisture — a slow under-cabinet leak is a frequent insurance claim because it often goes unnoticed for months.

Look for cracks, bulges, or surface rust at the connections. Replace rubber hoses with stainless-braided lines if they're older than five years — a burst supply hose is one of the highest-dollar water-damage claims a property manager sees.

Clear the lint screen, then check the run from the dryer to the exterior vent hood. Restricted vents extend dry times, drive utility complaints, and are the leading cause of dryer fires per NFPA. Note any blockage or kinked transition duct.

Open a work order with a licensed dryer-vent cleaner — a shop vac at the trap won't reach a long horizontal run. Document completion in the unit file; a vent-cleaning record is useful evidence if a future fire claim is investigated.

Use a torpedo level on the top of each unit and adjust the threaded feet until centered. An unlevel washer walks across the floor on spin and is a top tenant complaint in stacked-unit and second-floor laundry closets.

Lift the lever on the temperature and pressure relief valve — water should discharge briefly and stop fully when released. A T&P that won't seat back gets replaced before you leave; a stuck-closed valve is a tank-rupture hazard.

Shut off power or gas, attach a hose to the drain valve, and flush until the water runs clear. Sediment accumulation cuts efficiency and shortens tank life — annual flushing is the single biggest factor in extending a residential heater past 10 years.

Pull the anode rod from the top of the tank. If it's pitted to under half an inch or the bare steel core wire is exposed for more than six inches, the rod is spent and the tank itself is corroding next.

Install a like-for-like magnesium or aluminum/zinc rod. If the tank is over eight years old and the rod was already heavily corroded, flag the unit for water-heater replacement on the next capex cycle rather than just swapping the rod.

Match the original filter size and MERV rating — typically MERV 8-11 for residential units. Higher-MERV filters can starve airflow on older blower motors and cause coil freeze-ups.

Cycle heat and cool from the thermostat and confirm the system responds within a minute. Replace batteries on battery-powered units. Reset any prior tenant's schedule and lock-out settings.

Open a work order with the HVAC vendor for a full annual inspection — refrigerant charge, capacitor test, contactor inspection, condensate line clearing. Confirm the vendor's COI is current before the visit; a lapsed COI on a vendor working in the unit is a routine audit finding.

Attach photos of any replaced parts and the completed appliance log. The property manager signs off the visit and files the log in the unit folder; the maintenance record is useful at the next turnover and is admissible evidence if a tenant later disputes a habitability claim.