Maintenance teams need more recognition and better tools. Despite years of industry efforts, the National Apartment Association reports that the 1:100 ratio of maintenance techs to units remains the norm.1 AI has emerged as a promising solution, but tools alone won't solve the problem. Without the right model, siloed solutions risk inefficiencies and staff and resident retention.
Enter multifamily’s most prized buzzword: centralization. You might also see terms like "standardization" and "specialization" thrown in. Realizing these benefits in day-to-day workflows is another story. In that spirit, let the truth be told through industry leaders who are in the throes of centralizing maintenance or already mastering it.
Myth #1: Centralization Means Cutting Staff
Wrong. It's about empowering teams to do more. The industry has long faced a staffing crisis, with NAA also reporting that companies often leave 10% to 20% of their maintenance budget unspent due to staffing challenges. Our customers are pushing the 1:100 ratio to 150 and beyond.
“With Centralized Maintenance, we are now seeing one technician to 170 units. For a campus-style portfolio, that ratio can easily be pushed to 200. Long term, this model has the potential to create higher-paying jobs with better work-life balance and a much more responsive maintenance experience.”
– Mylisa Giroski, CEO of Anchor NW Property Group
Centralization isn't about downsizing; it's about optimizing your workforce. In this case, it’s increasing efficiency by 70%!
Myth #2: Centralization Enhances Data Visibility
I've heard this one too many times: “Part of the outcomes of centralizing is more visibility on the data-driven aspects of maintenance." In reality, it’s much more than that. Centralization gives you large volumes of data across your entire property stack and portfolio.
“With photographic evidence and real-time dashboards, we now have concrete proof of our efficiency gains. We can show owners that tasks that once took 72 hours now take less than 24. This level of certainty and transparency in demonstrating our improved profitability is huge.”
– Steve Jones, Veteran Multifamily Maintenance Leader
Centralization isn’t about losing control; it's about gaining unprecedented visibility.
Myth #3: Centralization Risks Human Connection
Think again. The modern resident is the modern consumer who wants access to instant gratification at their fingertips. Centralization empowers maintenance teams to meet individual residents and expectations where they are. In many cases, it elevates technicians to frontline, top-notch customer service roles.
“We've seen an overwhelmingly positive reaction from our residents. They really appreciate the ability to message property managers directly and receive updates. Our maintenance techs also benefit, as they can respond to queries and report back on completed work orders.”
– Jessica Bennett, Community Manager at Al Angelo
Centralization doesn’t create distance; it makes the most of maintenance service anytime, anywhere.
Myth #4: Maintenance Starts When the Tech Arrives
Nope. The process begins the moment a work order comes in. The real efficiency gains happen before a technician even picks up a tool. Centralizing and triaging requests3 is the linchpin. The result? Faster response times and issue resolution, sometimes without dispatching a tech at all.
“For the first time, we have a platform that recognizes the critical role that our maintenance teams play in resident satisfaction and retention. Thanks to tools like after-hours call handling, I'm getting feedback from our maintenance teams saying, 'I actually have peace of mind when I go home.' That, to me, is invaluable, especially in an industry where retaining and hiring staff is especially difficult.”
– John Barr, Director of Leasing and Innovation at The Dinerstein Companies
Yes, centralization helps you do more with less. But more importantly, it creates added value, especially for retaining happy staff and residents.
Myth #5: Centralization is Something Anyone Can Implement
Yes and no. Centralization is not a one-size-fits-all solution or playbook. Some operators won’t need a fully centralized model at all. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start exploring the benefits by taking a holistic approach to what you want to achieve–and a good hard look at your data.
“While every portfolio is different, the ability to collect large volumes of data is a major benefit that remains constant. Centralized Maintenance enables businesses to better understand time and labor allocation, employee and asset performance, and ultimately, maximize revenue and profitability.”
– Mylisa Giroski, CEO of Anchor NW Property Group
Centralization isn’t an all-or-nothing approach; it’s about uncovering the right business goals and insights to help guide you on exactly where you are on your journey.
The Time to Shift Your Mindset is Now
Age-old industry benchmarks, like the 1:100 technician-to-unit ratio, and the idea that an exact playbook exists will hold you back. It’s time to shift your mindset.
Keeping pace with evolving market conditions, technology, and resident demands, requires the industry to embrace change–and it starts with leadership being 110% aligned. Believe in the paradigm shift, and pay attention to the best practices and guides that can help you achieve the holy grail of centralization.
Centralized Maintenance by HappyCo is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more as we unpack some of the core elements, including software, organizational structure, and clearly defined job roles, to help you set the stage for future success.
Appendix
1. National Apartment Association - Multifamily’s Tentative Progress Toward Maintenance Centralization
2. National Apartment Association - Multifamily’s Tentative Progress Toward Maintenance Centralization
3. Multifamily Dive - The pros, cons of centralized maintenance
Jindou Lee is the CEO and Cofounder of HappyCo, a PropTech company that develops software and services to enable real-time property operations and asset management. Prior to his current role, Jindou also founded and exited two previous tech companies. Jindou spent most of his adult life growing up in Australia and graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Visual Communications (Design). Following graduation, he worked at Midway Games where he led the User Interface team to work on classic titles such as Mortal Kombat, Gauntlet, and Dukes of Hazzard. Besides his love for technology, Jindou is also an avid real estate investor, ex-semi pro soccer player, and enjoys spending time with his family.
