You might think giving your tenants a blank canvas to do their own installations will save you a ton of money. You couldn’t be more wrong. Sure, you don’t have to splash out on upgrading the apartments right now, but what happens when your tenant decides to do the job themselves? You risk legal cases, damage to your property, and repair bills. Here are my top five items every landlord should have professionally installed to protect their peace of mind and their bank account. Here are the top handyman services I recommend in NYC.

Air Conditioners (Window or Wall Units)
There’s nothing quite like the fear of walking next to a New York City apartment building, wondering if today could be your last. All it takes is a window air conditioning unit hanging by a thread to drop from the tenth floor. Unfortunately, as a New York City handyman, I have seen more botched jobs than you could ever imagine.

Common mistakes:

• • Leaving the air conditioning unit simply on the window sill, which is extremely dangerous and against the law.

• • Using the wrong brackets or none at all and failing to seal properly. This can lead to rain entering the apartment and causing dampness and mold.

• • Not sealing the window air conditioning unit properly which leads to higher utility bills in the winter. If utility bills are included in the tenant’s rent, you are literally leaking money.

Air conditioning units can cause many problems if not installed properly. Hiring a professional for each apartment will save you from legal issues, high utility bills, and costly repairs caused by botched jobs.

TV Mounting
A couple of weeks ago, I was hired to fix a failed TV mounting job in the Empire State Building. They must have drilled about fifty holes before they found the studs. The wall looked like it was crying for help. The truth is, many people think mounting a TV is an easy job, yet many get it wrong. They drill directly into hard walls and use cheap tools, for example, hanging a 65” TV on a $10 bracket.

What can you expect from a botched TV job?

• • Damage to walls, drilling into drywall can crumble the wall, and guess whose pocket the repairs will come out of?

• • Drilling into electrical wiring and pipes. Drilling randomly and hoping for the best is dangerous, especially where wires and pipes are present. Fixing electrical issues is expensive and could cause tenant injuries.

• • If you house families, you risk the TV not being childproof. A poorly mounted TV can fall at any moment, which is a serious hazard for crawling children.

TV mounting isn’t expensive and, in my opinion, is necessary — especially for landlords who want to avoid property damage and legal issues.

Furniture Assembly (If Your Apartments Are Furnished)
I can only imagine how long it would take to furnish over a hundred different apartments. Time is money. Outsource and get the job done faster. The sooner a tenant moves in, the sooner you get paid. If you consider doing your own furniture assembly, don’t rush the process. Otherwise, here’s what can happen:

• • Serious risk to children if wardrobes or bookshelves tip over. Assembling the cabinet is one thing, but is it secure? Is there zero risk to children living in the apartment?

• • Damage to floors. This is often overlooked, but think about tall, heavy items falling to the ground.

I bring the tools and experience to get it done safely and efficiently.

Shelves & Wall Storage Units
I’ve seen some crazy DIY jobs done without a spirit level. The problem is many people eyeball shelving and mismatch hardware to the wall type. Like TV mounting, some drill too close to wiring and risk electrocution and blowing the electrical system.

The fallout:

• • Slanted shelves are useless; if they’re at an angle, contents will slide off.

• • Wall damage caused by improper anchors.

• • Damage to electrical wiring. You finish the sentence.

I assess the wall type (plaster, drywall, brick), use the correct fixings, and install everything clean and flush.

Murphy Beds or Wall-Mounted Desks
When tenants have a Murphy bed, they often skip anchoring or fail to align the frame properly, which puts strain on the wall and moving parts.

The fallout:

• • Beds that jam or collapse; nobody wants to spend hundreds replacing a bed when the issue could have been avoided.

• • Wall separation or cracking plaster.

• • Major injury risks or insurance liabilities.

Why you need a pro:
I measure and level everything, follow manufacturer specs, and ensure weight is evenly distributed with safe wall anchoring.

Final Note
You got into property to make money. Don’t risk legal battles and the safety of your tenants. You might think, “They’re responsible for damages anyway.” Here’s the truth: you will still get the repair call, you’ll still have to fix it before a new tenant moves in, and you will still lose time and money.

If you are based in New York City, I offer handyman services covering all of these areas so you can safely lease your apartments without stress. To book your appointment, please click the link below.

https://pictureperfectmounting.com/handyman-services-new-york-booking/