Planned vs Reactive Maintenance: Which Is Right for Your Property?

If you manage a property — whether it's a single rental home, a commercial office, or a warehouse — you'll be familiar with the choice between two approaches to maintenance: planned and reactive. Understanding the difference, and knowing when to use each, can save you significant money and stress.

What Is Reactive Maintenance?

Reactive maintenance is exactly what it sounds like: you respond to problems as they occur. A tenant reports a burst pipe, you call a plumber. A light fitting stops working, you send a handyman. The maintenance is triggered by a fault or failure.

Reactive maintenance is sometimes called "breakdown maintenance" or "corrective maintenance". It's unplanned, unscheduled, and often urgent.

When reactive maintenance makes sense

• For issues that are genuinely unpredictable and cannot be prevented through inspection
• For lower-priority items where the cost of failure is low
• As a supplement to planned maintenance for unexpected issues that arise between scheduled visits

What Is Planned Preventative Maintenance?

Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) involves scheduling regular inspections and servicing of your property's systems and fabric before problems occur. The goal is to identify wear, deterioration, or impending failures early — and address them before they become expensive emergencies.

A PPM programme might include quarterly inspections of guttering and drainage, annual checks of boilers and heating systems, periodic testing of electrical systems, and regular grounds maintenance throughout the year.

When planned maintenance makes sense

• For systems where failure would be costly or disruptive (boilers, electrical, drainage)
• For compliance-related items that require scheduled inspection (fire safety, electrical testing)
• For external maintenance that is predictably seasonal (gutters, grounds)
• For commercial properties where downtime has a direct cost to the occupier

The Real Cost of Purely Reactive Maintenance

Many landlords and property managers default to reactive maintenance because it feels cheaper — you only spend money when something breaks. In reality, purely reactive maintenance often costs significantly more over time.

• Emergency call-out premiums: Reactive repairs out of hours or at short notice typically cost more than the same work carried out on a planned basis.
• Secondary damage: A small leak left unreported becomes water damage to floors, walls, and ceilings. A blocked gutter becomes a damp problem. Early detection through inspection prevents secondary costs.
• Compliance risk: Failing to maintain statutory items on schedule creates legal liability for landlords.
• Tenant dissatisfaction: Tenants who experience repeated maintenance failures leave. Void periods are expensive.

The Right Approach: A Combination

Most well-managed properties use a combination of both approaches. A planned maintenance programme covers the predictable, preventable, and compliance-led items. Reactive maintenance handles the genuinely unexpected failures that occur between planned visits.

The ratio depends on the property type and age. Newer properties may need less planned maintenance but still require reactive capacity. Older buildings, complex commercial properties, and industrial sites typically benefit from a more comprehensive PPM programme.

How Multrex Can Help

Multrex Maintenance provides both planned and reactive maintenance for landlords, commercial property managers, and facilities managers across London, Essex, and Kent. We can help you design a PPM programme for your property and provide a rapid reactive response when unexpected issues arise — all from a single, reliable contractor.

Contact us to discuss your property's maintenance requirements and find out how we can help you reduce costs and protect your investment.